Snowtuft's Pain
by Flaming Eagle
Summary: We all know of the Dark Forest tom, but why is he the way he is? How did he come to be? After all, no one is born evil, right? OK, so the plot of this story came from the mind of Amberstorm233! I am writing the story and adding some stuff! Hope you enjoy!
1. Allegeinces

**_WINDCLAN_**:

**Leader:** **Eaglestar**\- large long-furred black, white, golden and grey tom, yellow eyes

**Deputy:** **Heatherclaw**\- graceful light grey she-cat, hazel eyes

**Apprentice, Snowpaw**

**Medicine Cat:****Swallowtail**\- brown tom with white chest, tail, and paws, yellow eyes

**Warriors **(toms and she-cats without kits)

**Moor Runners **(cats responsible for aboveground hunting and border patrols)

**Wavetalon- **blue-grey she-cat

**Deerfoot- **light brown tom with white markings on tail

**Beartalon- **black tom, amber eyes

**Apprentice, Owlpaw**

**Blizzardwind- **white she-cat with two black spots, black tail, and black head, green eyes

**Apprentice, Bramblepaw**

**Aspenfang- **ginger and grey tom, amber eyes

**Creamfur- **cream colored she-cat, blue eyes

**Skyear-** dark brown and white spotted tom, grey eyes

**Apprentice, Birchpaw**

**Tunnelers **(cats specializing in hunting and digging tunnels belowground)

**Robindawn- **dim orange she-cat

**Tigerspirit- **large dark brown and black tabby tom, yellow eyes

**Rainstorm- **skinny black tom, blue eyes

**Embertail- **pale grey tabby with ginger stripes, yellow eyes, she-cat

**Apprentice, Fernpaw**

**Smoketail- **light grey tabby she-cat, amber eyes,

**Apprenitces **(more than six moons old, in training to become warriors)

**Owlpaw- **dark brown tom, amber eyes

**Birchpaw- **pale tabby tom, blue eyes

**Bramblepaw- **light grey and brown tom, brown eyes

**Snowpaw- **white tom, green eyes

**Fernpaw- **black she-cat, striking green eyes

**Queens **(she-cats expecting or nursing kits)

**Darkfire- **black tabby with russet stripes, amber eyes, mother of Beartalon's kits: Larkkit, Blackkit and Redkit

**Elders **(former warriors and queens, now retired)

**Iceflare-** deep ginger she-cat, icy blue eyes

**Scarmuzzle-** heavily scarred brown tom, dull eyes

**Goldenpelt-** dark golden tom, brown eyes

* * *

**_RIVERCLAN_**:

**Leader:** **Minnowstar- **silver and dark grey tabby she-cat, grey eyes

**Deputy:** **Frostwish- **white tom, blue eyes

**Medicine Cat: ****Featherbreeze- **light grey she-cat, brown eyes

**Warriors **(toms and she-cats without kits)

**Swanstripe- **white she-cat with light grey stripes, blue eyes

**Willowstream-** grey and black she-cat, blue eyes

**Kestrelfang-**light brown tabby tom, hazel eyes

**Ospreytalon-**brown tabby tom, grey eyes

**Brightfawn- **light brown she-cat with white ears and tail, brown eyes

**Sunflame- **yellow and ginger tabby she-cat, amber eyes

**Fogsplash-**silver she-cat, green eyes

**Apprentice, Palepaw**

**Smokeynight- **dark grey tom with black chest and tail, blue eyes

**Stonewhisker-**dark grey tom, brown eyes

**Ravenfall-**black she-cat, amber eyes

**Pebbletail-**light grey she-cat, blue eyes

**Apprenitces **(more than six moons old, in training to become warriors)

**Palepaw-**light yellow tom, brown eyes

**Queens **(she-cats expecting or nursing kits)

**Blazingflare**-bright ginger and yellow, amber eyes

**Elders **(former warriors and queens, now retired)

**Slashface- **scarred she-cat, missing an ear

**Hopspark- **silver and brown tabby she-cat, green eyes

**Duckfur-**brown tom, blue eyes

* * *

**_THUNDERCLAN_**:

**Leader:** **Adderstar- **dark brown tom, green eyes

**Deputy:** **Brackenash- **brown and striped tabby she-cat, blue eyes

**Medicine Cat: ****Elktail- **tan she-cat, black tail, grey eyes

**Apprentice, Dawnpaw**

**Warriors **(toms and she-cats without kits)

**Rosewing- **white she-cat, amber eyes

**Apprentice, Falconpaw**

**Scarletfeather- **dark ginger she-cat, grey eyes

**Ruffledpelt- **ruffled black tabby tom, green eyes

**Lightningfang- **yellow spotted ginger she-cat, amber eyes

**Thornsky- **light brown tom, green eyes

**Cedarspot- **dark brown tom, yellow eyes

**Treeclaw-** pale brown tom, green eyes

**Jayheart- **dark grey she-cat, blue eyes

**Apprentice, Strikepaw**

**Coralstripe- **light grey tabby she-cat, bright pink nose, brown eyes

**Foxflight- **ginger tom, yellow eyes

**Apprenitces **(more than six moons old, in training to become warriors)

**Dawnpaw-**black she-cat with yellow striped tail, amber eyes

**Strikepaw- **grey and white striped she-cat

**Falconpaw-** brown, white, and black striped tabby tom, blue eyes

**Queens **(she-cats expecting or nursing kits)

**Daisytail-**yellow she-cat, hazel eyes

**Petalleaf-**white she-cat

**Elders **(former warriors and queens, now retired

**Nightflower-** black she-cat, yellow eyes

* * *

**_SHADOWCLAN_**:

**Leader: ** **Lizardstar- **light brown she-cat, amber eyes

**Deputy:** **Frogleap- **grey tom, green eyes

**Apprentice, Lionpaw**

**Medicine Cat: ****Copperfeather-** ginger she-cat with white chest, tail and ears, amber eyes

**Apprentice, Greenpaw**

**Warriors **(toms and she-cats without kits)

**Dappleclaw**\- tortoiseshell and white tom, brown eyes

**Shadepool- **dark grey and black tabby she-cat

**Scorchtooth- **dark grey and white tom, amber eyes

**Apprentice, Hazelpaw**

**Tigerdust- **pale orange she-cat, yellow eyes

**Snakepelt- **dark brown she-cat, green eyes

**Moleshadow- **black tabby she-cat

**Brightmuzzle- **light grey tom

**Shiningspot- **black she-cat, shining blue eyes

**Berrybreeze- **brown she-cat, bright green eyes

**Finwish- **pale yellow tom, brown eyes

**Apprenitces **(more than six moons old, in training to become warriors)

**Hazelpaw**\- brown she-cat, hazel eyes

**Greenpaw- **Black tom, green eyes

**Lionpaw-**golden she-cat, brown eyes

**Queens **(she-cats expecting or nursing kits)

**Duskclaw-** dark grey, amber eyes

**Elders **(former warriors and queens, now retired

**Blacklake-** black she-cat, blue eyes

**Poisonleaf**-dark brown tom, green eyes

* * *

**_CATS OUTSIDE THE CLANS:_**

**Red**-ginger tom


	2. Prologue

A white tom sat hunched over in a patch of soggy grass. He was in the swamp area of the dark forest. Barely any cat came there, but this cat did. He came to that place quite often.

"Hey! Snowtuft!" A young voice called. Snowtuft turned his head in the direction of the sound. He saw a dark striped tom was running towards him with an evil sneer on his face. Snowtuft sighed and laid his ears back against his head,

"What do you want, Blackthorn?" He growled. The dark tom tackled Snowtuft.

"I want you to come see something." Blackthorn chuckled," Ashfang is clawing up this pathetic WindClan apprentice."

Snowtuft hissed and shoved the other cat off of him with a kick of his back legs.

"No, I don't want to see that. It's horrible." The white warrior stood up with his back arched and his teeth bared," Go away! I don't need that right now."

Blackthorn huffed, clearly annoyed,"Cut this foxdug, Snowtuft. Dig yourself out of the trench of sadness and depression you've created for yourself, and have some fun!"

Snowtuft gave the dark tom a hateful glare,"Go stuff yourself. Have _fun_ torturing an innocent apprentice, causing him physical and emotional pain, forcing him out of StarClan, into the Dark Forest and ruining his life forever!" The white tom had his face right up to Blackthorn's face, his words were filled with spite and venom.

"Jeez. _Fine_."Blackthorn stalked away. Snowtuft growled and flicked his tail. He walked further into the swamp, his body quickly enclosed in a shroud of thick fog. _I will never forgive you, Mapleshade._


	3. Chapter 1

'Run, Snow! RUN! Take Red with you!" A pure white she-cat screamed. Snow motioned with his tail for his ginger brother to follow him. Red was crying. They both said,

"Goodbye, Blizzard! I love you!"

Snow ran, with his brother at his side, away from the horrible scene that played out behind him. A massive black brute of a dog stood snarling over the limp and bloodied body of the brothers' mother, Blizzard. Her once blue eyes were wide open and all light was gone from them. Pink-tinged saliva dripped out of the dog's mouth and splattered onto the ground. it had black eyes that help menace, and large paws, head, and body. The mutt had already killed their father and was looking for even more victims.

The dog had came across the family when they were hunting. Storm smelled it first, and yowled to warn the rest. Halfway through his warning, the dog bounded up to Storm. Storm tried to run, but it was no use, for the dog was already right next to him. Next thing the rest knew, the yowl had turned into a scream, which quickly died off into a gurgling sound. The dog had grabbed Storm in it's jaws and killed him.

Blizzard had gathered Snow and Red and hid them under a small ledge on the side of the mountain. She told them to be safe and look after each other, then ran off to the dead body of Storm. The black dog had it's head to the ground and was sniffing around the area, looking for more prey. Blizzard had started dragging Storm's body back to Red and Snow, when the dog saw her. She saw it too and froze in fear. The dog let out a joyful bark and charged at Blizzard.

Red and Snow were only about five moons old. And about the size of a small full-grown rabbit. They lived as loners with their parents, Blizzard and Storm. Snow and Red were deathly skinny, as the opportunity for food rarely came. Of course, living in rocky plains didn't help. Hawks and larger birds often carried off the smaller prey that cats normally hunted, leaving the small group of loners next to nothing.

"Snow."Red whispered..

"I know, Red. We can talk about it later. But right now, we need to get away from here." Snow shivered as the image of his parent's dead bodies flashed in his mind. The sun was descending and dusk quickly set in. The two brothers stopped by the edge of a large moor.

"Let's sleep now, Red." Snow panted.

"Ok, _then_ can we talk. And hunt?" Red replied. Snow nodded.


	4. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! Sorry it has been so long since I last posted a chapter! I hadn't been in the groove, and I've had MAJOR writers block! But now I am back, and I am hoping to post chapters whenever possible. But I am moving at this moment, so I will be very busy and the chapter might be short. But anyways, please stick with me, and enjoy!**

* * *

Snow woke up the next morning, to have blinding light sting his eyes. There was no cover on the moor except for a few heather tendrils and patches of tall grass. Suddenly all of the previous day's events hit him like a huge wave. The horrible black hound, the dead bodies of his parents. He once again felt the all-too-familiar tears of sadness stream down his cheeks. But he had to be strong. He had to be strong for his brother.

Snow heard Red groan. Snow looked over to his ginger brother and saw him roll his head over to him.

"Hi Snow." Red said. His amber eyes flashed. Snow nodded.

"Let's hunt first." Red groaned again and stood up. He stretched his legs and rapidly blinked his eyes. Snow stood up too and took a deep breath; breathing in the crisp morning air.

The two brothers looked around for the usual flash of brown fur, or a dark grey streak indicating prey. But they saw none. Instead they saw a small group of cats, four, running towards them. A younger cat whose fur was deep brown and looked around the loners' age had his fur bristling and eyes defensive.

"Loner scum!" The young cat yelled. He suddenly sprinted ahead of the other cats and started jumping up and down, running forward, then lurching to a stop; he kept repeating that motion.

_It looks like he is being held back by some invisible barrier._ Snow thought. The white tom looked over at his brother and saw that Red was holding back laughter. Snow turned his attention back to older cats that had just stopped by the young one's side. A black-colored tom flicked the fidgety brown one with his tail,

"Hey! Owlpaw, calm down and get yourself together!" The black tom flexed his muscles as the young cat continued to glare and lurch in the direction of Snow and Red. "I _said_ STOP!"

The black tom smacked the brown one with his paw. Instantly the young cat calmed down. The other two cats; one sleek and lithe grey she-cat, and a light brown tom with white markings on his tail, smirked as they watched the two cats bickering.

The grey she-cat turned to Snow and Red, her hazel eyes shining

"What are you doing here? Loners aren't welcome on WindClan territory!" She ran her paw over the grass, tracing some sort of invisible line on the ground. "This is our border. You are NOT allowed to cross it."

The young brown tom bounced on his feet,"Yeah! You're not allowed to cross it!" That deserved a glare from the black cat.

Snow worriedly looked at Red, "Um, we just got attacked by a dog not far from here, and we are by ourselves now."

The grey she-cat shared a glance with the two toms. "Would you like to join WindClan by any chance?"

Snow instantly became overjoyed: he would have a family again! The two brother responded at the same time,

"Yes!"

"No!"

Snow looked at his brother, confused. "Red, we could have a family! These cats are willing to take us in even though they don't know us!"

The ginger tom looked at his brother as if just seeing him clearly, "No! Blizzard and Storm were just savagely murdered! And can all you think about is finding a _new_ family?!"

Snow was outraged by his brother's reaction," You think I don't care about my family! I am heart-broken that our parents are dead! And I am even _more_ sad to see that you think that I don't care!"

Red glared at his brother,"You _don't_ care! Go ahead and join these stupid cats if you want, but I'm _not _going with you!"

The young tom took one last glance at his brother before running away back towards the rocky plains that they came from. Snow felt hot tears pricking at the corners of his eyes as he turned around to look at the four cats that were staring at him. The she-cat's eyes were full of sympathy and the light brown tom was tearing up.

"That was so sad!" The tom yowled. The black cat rolled his eyes and said to the young brown one,

"Come on. We are going back to camp." The young cat shot one last glare at Snow before padding after the older cat.

"Ahem." The she-cat said. "My name is Heatherclaw. And this is Deerfoot."

Heatherclaw flicked her tail at Deerfoot.

"So...about that offer."Deerfoot began, "Do you wa-"

"Yes!" Snow interrupted. He was incredibly excited.

"Ok!" Heatherclaw said, smiling, "Follow me!"

She tuned around with Deerfoot at her side, and started walking further into the moor. Snow scrambled to catch up with the two cats.

Deerfoot turned his head to look at Snow,"What's your name, by the way?"

"Snow."

"Well Snow, let me get something out there: Clan cats don't like loners. So WindClan might not take your sudden appearance well.

"Oh yeah, and there are more than just four of us, there are about thirty."

Snow stopped in his tracks. Heatherclaw looked back and smiled at him.

"Still up for it?"

Snow grinned,"Now more than ever!"

* * *

**So, I hoped you liked it! Leave a review if you want, with any suggestions or comments. I will try to post the next chapter as soon as possible.**

**QOTD-What is your favorite movie?**

**Mine is Army of Darkness. See you next time! And until then, Au revoir!**


	5. Chapter 3

**Hey guys! I am so excited for tonight! It's the Fourth of July! Time to set fire to some explosives in the sky! 'MURICA! Thank you guys for all the awesome reviews! I so am glad that you like the story. I am writing chapter pretty fast at the moment, but I am doing that becasue I won't have much time for the next week or so, so these few chapters should make up for that. Also, I am not going to be posting for the first week of August because I won't have any internet. Anyways: here is the next chapter!**

* * *

Snow was exhausted by the time the Heatherclaw and Deerfoot stopped running.

"Um, I thought you were taking me to the other members of your...what did you call it? Tribe?"

"Clan."

"Ah, yes, Clan." Snow said. He looked around, but saw nothing except a tree-line in the distance.

"Look down, Snow." Deerfoot said.

Snow looked down and gasped. Below him was a giant hole in the ground, with cats, young and old, milling about and talking amongst themselves.

"Woah!" The white tom exclaimed.

"It's called a camp." Deerfoot added.

Heatherclaw cleared her throat and told Snow to follow her as she walked through a gap in a thorn barrier surrounding the edges of the hole. As the three cat entered the camp, all the cats inside stopped what they were doing and stared at the newcomer. Snow stumbled as Deerfoot pushed his from behind.

"Keep walking, Snow, don't let them bother you." The brown tom whispered in Snow's ear. Snow redirected his gaze to what Heatherclaw was headed for. He saw a small dark opening in the side of the camp with ivy tendrils hanging over it. Heatherclaw stopped in front of it and poked her head through.

"Eaglestar, may we come in? We brought the loner."

A deep voice responded," Yes, enter."

Snow looked at Deerfoot with nervous eyes as Heatherclaw stepped into the den. The brown tom nodded encouragingly and nudged Snow through opening. The den was wide and two nests sat side by side in the back. In one of the nests, sat a large tom cat with long black, golden, white, and grey fur. He had bright yellow eyes and his tail was wrapped around his large grey paws. Deerfoot and Heatherclaw looked like rabbits compared to the huge cat.

Snow, this is Eaglestar: the leader of WindClan." Heathertail said. Eaglestar stood up and took a step towards Snow. The small white cat cringed as the leader's powerful eyes bore into Snow's.

"You are the loner that Beartalon found by the border?" Eaglestar questioned. Snow figured that Beartalon was the black cat that went back to camp with the young brown one.

"Y-yes." Snow stuttered

"You look a little young to be out by yourself; looks like you just left the nursery."

Snow was confused,"What is a nursery?"

Eaglestar laughed,"A nursery is where your mother births you and brings you up."

"Oh, ok. I actually just turned six moons old a few sunrises ago." Snow said. Eaglestar looked at Heatherclaw and nodded.

"Ok. I will let you join WindClan; but you have to follow our customs, rules, and ways of life. You must respect our Code and our Elders. Now. Because you are six moons old, you will need a mentor. Your mentor will teach you how to fight, hunt, and most importantly, protect the Clan. And because you are new to Clan life, your mentor will also teach you the Warrior Code, our way of life, our customs, other Clans, and StarClan."

Snow nodded and smiled. He liked the sound of Clans.

"Oh, and we will have to change your name." Heatherclaw added.

"What!" Snow exclaimed,"What are you changing it to?"

Eaglestar laughed, "Snowpaw."

"Oh, ok. I'm fine with that."Snow said. Eaglestar nodded and stepped out of the den. The other three cats followed. The leader bounded across the clearing and jumped onto a rock jutting out of the ground.

"All cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather in the hollow for a Clan meeting!" He yowled. Cats came streaming out of dens built into the sides of the hollow. A queen was blocking her kits' way so they couldn't watch the meeting. Once all the cats were gathered in front of the the rock, Eaglestar beckoned for Snow to stand up next to him. The white tom stepped up next to Eaglestar and nervously looked around.

"Cats of WindClan. Today we welcome Snow as a new member of WindClan. He will be treated as any other apprentice would be, and will be welcomed.

"Snow, from this moment on, you shall be known as Snowpaw until you earn your warrior name; Heatherclaw will be your mentor."

Snow jumped down from the rock and Heatherclaw stepped towards him.

"Lick my shoulder." She whispered to him. Snowpaw followed her directions. Heatherclaw in turn, touched her nose to his head.

"Snowpaw!"

"Snowpaw!"

"Snowpaw!" The Clan cheered.

* * *

**I hope you guys liked the chapter! It is knid of short, but i figured it would be a good place to end it. Now onto the QOTD!**

**QOTD- Who is your favorite and least favorite warrior cat? It can be from any series: first, second, thrid, fourth, fith, manga, Super Edition, Guides, and Novellas.**

**My answer is probably Leafstar as my favorite, and Crowfeather/Breezepelt as my least favorite.**


	6. Chapter 4

**Thank you guys so much for all the reviews! I am glad that you guys like the story so much! And, I think that I am going to start answering your guys' reviews. Also, I have another story I am going to start writing again, it is called Stallionfang's Shadow. I thik it will turn out really good, so that would be awesome if you guys could check it out. Now I am going to to answer your reviews: and becasue this is the first time, I will answer all of them this chapter!**

**Guest has swag- Yeah, I like those cats too. Leafstar is my favorite out of all of them though!**

**Amberstorm233- Thank you! And the first arc is probably one of the best. Also, yes! Snowpaw is finally part of a Clan!**

**Ainsley Kennedy- Thank you, I am glad you like it. In to the Wild is definetly the second best, but for me, Omen of the Stars is number one!**

**BRUH- Thanks, I really like Snowtuft too, and I agree with the whole Omen of the Stars thing. I haven't seen 'Let's Be Cops' but it looks really good!**

**Ravenfrost- I agree, also really like the time in between the first and second series; like when Firestar went on his 'quest' with Sandstorm. And I am sorry: I forgot about the QOTD when I posted that capter. I also haven't seen Maleficent or Temple Grandin, but I have seen previews and it looks good.**

**Leafdragon117-Yes, I have read Bluestar's Prophecy and it is really sad! And Bramblestar is one of my favorites too!**

**Lavenderpaw1- I have to agree, Breezepelt and Berrynose are pretty horrible and arogent. And don't worry, I'm not that good with compliments either!**

**Oasis and Chips- Thank you! But the plot line and idea of the story was created by Amberstorm233, I just write the story! I agree though, it is a really clever idea. I am thinking about doing the Alliences, but I don't know enough information about the cats in Snowtuft's time period, so I think I am just going to do WindClan, and if I can figure it out, I will do the other four Clans too (yes, I am including SkyClan). And I have to say, Hollyleaf is pretty awesome! But I still like Dovewing, even though she can be really stupid and mary-sueish at times; I do think that Hollyleaf would of been a better third cat in the prophecy!**

**Ok guys, that are all the reviews as of this moment! And yes, I did combine the people who have reviewed multiple times. I hope you guys like this chapter!**

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Snowpaw looked around at his new Clanmates and smiled: he had a family! And a big one at that! He gazed about and saw Eaglestar, Heatherclaw, a blueish-grey cat, and a dim orange cat with dirt smudges on his fur. Snowpaw saw them arguing, their heads together. The four cats kept looking back at Snowpaw. Finally, he had enough and edged closer to them until he was in earshot.

"I don't get it Eaglestar! He would be a great tunneler! He has the correct build and while his white pelt would stand out in the bare moor, it would make it easy for the other tunnelers to see him. It would make it impossible for him to hunt or fight!" The dim orange tom was visibly agitated.

"Yeah, I know, Robindawn! But he has excellent speed, and even though he is only six moons old, half-starved, and out of shape, he managed to keep up with Deerfoot and I!" Heatherclaw said. Eaglestar turned to the blue-grey cat,

"What do you think, Wavetalon?"

Wavetalon thought for a moment,"I think we shouldn't decide right now. Let him learn about Clan life, first. Then we can test him out and see what would be best."

All four cats nodded. Snowpaw realized that they were about to come talk to him; he quickly bowed his head and started grooming himself. When Eaglestar sat down in front of him, he pretended to be surprised.

"Hello, Eaglestar!" Snowpaw said,"And Heatherclaw, Wavetalon, Robindawn."

"How do you know our name?" The blue-grey she-cat questioned.

"Oh, I...um...heard it around camp…"

Wavetalon gave him a knowing look and winked.

Heatherclaw started,"OK, Snowpaw. You will be my apprentice until you have learned about the Clans. Then depending on your strengths, you will either continue training as a Runner with me or Wavetalon, or as a Tunneler with Robindawn."

"Tunneler?" Snow asked

"You'll learn about it in training." Eaglestar put in.

"Great. So we will see you soon, Snowpaw." Robindawn said. The leader, Tunneler, and Runner walked away. Snowpaw bounced up and down.

"Sooo. When do we start training?"

Heatherclaw laughed,"Tomorrow. Right now, you have to make your nest and move it into the apprentice den. Then you should go to sleep. We have a lot to do tomorrow."

Snowpaw nodded and scampered away. But then he stopped and turned around.

"Um, what is a nest, how do I make one, and where is the apprentice den?"

The grey cat sighed,"I forgot, you're not familiar with our ways. Follow me, I will show you how to make a nest." Snowpaw followed his mentor as she led him to a small dip in the ground just outside of camp.

"To answer your first question, a nest is something Clan cats sleep in. Here, take some of these heather tendrils and weave them into each other, like this." Heatherclaw help one tendril in each paw, and set them next to eachother. Then she took a couple more and wove them together. "There, now you try."

Snowpaw took two pieces of heather and copied what Heatherclaw did. He looked at her to see if he had done a good job; the elegant warrior nodded. Snowpaw smiled and quickly finished his nest, building up the outer edges.

"Ok, now follow me." Heathertail said to Snowpaw. She took off running away from camp. Snowpaw picked up his nest in his mouthed and stumbled after his mentor. The two WindClan cats were headed to some odd white animals in the distance.

Heatherclaw stopped next to one of the animals and looked back at the panting Snowpaw; nest still in his mouth.

"These animals are called sheep. We use their wool to line our nests." She scooped up some loose white wool from the ground and spread it in Snowpaw's nest. "There you go. Now, follow me and I will bring you back to camp and show you the apprentice den where you will be sleeping for the next five or so moons."

This time Heatherclaw was the one who carried Snowpaw's nest. When they arrived at camp, Snowpaw was tired and exhausted after a long day, so he was happy for the chance to sleep. The grey she-cat gave Snowpaw his nest and pointed at the apprentice's den.

"Ok, Snowpaw. Deerfoot and I told you that some cats are not going to be very welcoming towards you; we were talking about the apprentices. They can be very...well, you will find out soon. I wish there was something I could do to help, but I can't. So goodnight, and good luck."

Heatherclaw padded over to where Deerfoot was and nuzzled his cheek. The walked into the warrior's den together. Snowpaw was getting really nervous as he walked into the apprentice den; it was dim, and there was a black she-cat with her tail curled over her nose, sleeping. The new Clan cat set down his nest in the middle of the den, next to hreetother nests. He was about to step in it when he heard a scoff from the entrance of the den. Snowpaw turned around and saw the dark brown apprentice: Owlpaw.

"Hello Owlpaw!" Snowpaw exclaimed

Owlpaw scoffed,"What makes you think you can talk to me?"

Snowpaw gave him a confused look,"Um... I-"

But the rude apprentice interrupted him,"Shut up. Move your nest _out_ of the center of the den; you aren't a real member of WindClan, so I don't want you getting your loner stink on my fur while I'm sleeping."

Owlpaw kicked Snowpaw's nest out of the center, and into the farthest corner of the den. The other two cats behind Owlpaw laughed. Snowpaw spit at his newly formed enemies and went to fix his nest. The white apprentice laid down in his damp and cold corner, closed his eyes and as his new life faded to black, Snowpaw fell asleep.

* * *

**How did you like the chapter? I think it went pretty well! The QOTD is going to be a little bit different! So here it is!**

**QOTD- Who do you think deserves to be leader the most(as of the fourth series)? You can only vote once, though! These are the options:**

**Squirrelflight**

**Lionblaze**

**Tawnypelt**

**Greystripe**

**Sandstorm**

**Ivypool**

**Yes, I know I did mostly ThunderClan cats, but I couldn't think of any other cats from the different Clans! Sorry! So once again, vote on whichever one you think most deserves to be leader, and until next time, bye bye!**


	7. Chapter 5

**Hey guys! I'm back! Sorry for the long wait, I just finished moving, but there isn't internet at the new house, so I have to drive to the old one(which still has internet) if I want to even access the web. So I finally had time to write the chapter and post it today! I was originally planning for this chapter to be about a page and a half, but it ended up being about five or six. Now on to reviews!**

**Amberstorm233- Thanks! I agree: I think that Ivypool and Tawnypelt deserve to be leaders.**

**LunaNight9- Yeah, a lot of people either picked Ivypool or Tawnypelt**

**NightmareTheFoxWitch- Yes, I agree: Ivypool is one of the top candidates**

**Hollystar: Thank you! Yes, Tawnypelt is pretty awesome! **

**IeniraShur'tugal- Into The Wild is one of my favorite series too; and I know that it is called the Prophecies Begin now, but I didn't know when I wrote the chapter.**

**LittleGrayOwl- I think that Sandstorm would be a pretty good leader, too! And thank you!**

**Guest- Squrrilflight would also be a pretty good leader; as she is Bramblestar's deputy**

**So I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! Here we go!**

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"Snowpaw…Snowpaw!" Heathertail thrust her head into the apprentice's den,"Snowpaw!"

The white tom drowsily lifted his head, "Waa?"

Heathertail huffed, obviously annoyed. "Wake up! Dawn patrol came back ages ago, and you are supposed to come to training with me."

Snowpaw scrambled to his paws, looking ruffled, "I'm sorry! I didn't know, and I was just so tired from yesterday, and-"

His mentor cut him off, "I understand. But next time, be sure to wake up earlier."

Snowpaw nodded.

"Now let's go! We have a lot to do today."

He watched his mentor withdraw her head from the den.

"Well, are you coming or not?" Heatherclaw called. Snowpaw shook his pelt out, sending scraps of heather and bracken flying everywhere. He hurried out of the den and looked around for his mentor. Snowpaw's eyes got big as he gazed around the camp, taking in all the new smells, and sights. Cats of different sizes and colors were milling about; some heading out of camp, and others sitting around talking with their Clanmates.

"Hey! Newbie!" A grey and orange tom waved his tail at Snowpaw, gaze warm and friendly. The apprentice's eyes widened in surprise as he stumbled over to the tom.

"He-hello?"Snowpaw stuttered. He didn't expect someone to be kind to him.

"My name's Aspenfang! Welcome to WindClan!" Aspenfang motioned to another cat: a cream she-cat sitting a few tail-lengths away. "Come over and meet Snowpaw, Creamfur."

The pretty she-cat nodded and shared a few words with another she-cat next to her. She padded over to the two cats and sat down next to Aspenfang. "Welcome!" She purred.

Snowpaw nodded at her and meowed, "Thanks."

Creamfur shared a look with Aspenfang. "So-"

"Snowpaw!" Heatherclaw's agitated yowl sounded from behind the white apprentice. He flinched as he remembered about the training session.

"I thought I told you to follow me, not keep me waiting by talking to other cats." The deputy slid her angry gaze to the two warriors in front of her. "And you two. You should have known that I was taking him out training!"

Aspenfang and Creamfur dipped their heads to the grey she-cat. "Of course, Heatherclaw." Aspenfang meowed.

"We are sorry." Creamfur added. Heatherclaw nodded and cuffed Snowpaw's ear.

"Let's go." She led the way out of the camp, tail lashing. Snowpaw scampered after her, shooting an apologetic look over his shoulder at the two warriors, sitting side-by-side, watching apprentice and mentor walk out of the camp.

"Um…Heatherclaw. I'm sorry about…you know…all of this." Snowpaw mumbled, "It's only my first day, and I already messed up."

Heatherclaw stopped and turned around, looking at Snowpaw with sympathetic eyes. "It's okay, Snowpaw. I understand; you have no need to worry, but next time, try to wake up a little earlier." She turned around and set the pace at a trot, heading down a slope. The wind ruffled Snowpaw's white coat, and stung his eyes. He blinked a few times, his eyes finally getting used light, and growing big as he fully took in the bright blue sky and golden hills. _The moor really is beautiful._

"Keeping up, Snowpaw?" Heatherclaw called back.

"Of course! I'm not a helpless kit!" The apprentice shot back.

"Ok, then." Heatherclaw purred. "Let's turn it up a notch."

Heatherclaw switched from a trot, to a sprint. Her grey pelt disappeared into a swath of heather, only her tail poking up through the tendrils. Snowpaw let out a sigh and blundered after his mentor. The sweet scent of peat and heather filled Snowpaw's nose and overwhelmed him. But he pushed ahead, shouldering his way through the sweet-smelling plant. Finally Snowpaw broke through into open ground, exhausted. He slid to a halt and shook his pelt out. Heatherclaw was sitting quite a few fox lengths away, grooming her flank.

"Not so cocky now, are you?" She smirked. Out of breath, ribs aching, and sides heaving, Snowpaw grumbled and stomped over to where his mentor was sitting.

"Haha. So funny." The white apprentice hissed sarcastically. Heatherclaw rolled her eyes.

"Let me give you a tip, Snowpaw. Right now you are running like prey. What you need to do is curve your spine, and with each stride, reach forward with your front paws, while tucking in your back ones. And then as you bring in your forepaws again, push off with your hind legs. Speed is key, but you have to learn to control it."

Snowpaw screwed his eyes shut, trying to remember all that Heatherclaw said. "Curve spine, tuck in back legs, reach forward with front paws…" He nodded, opening his eyes again. "I think I got it."

Snowpaw looked around wondering where to start.

"Here follow me." Heatherclaw meowed, turning towards the left, and leading her apprentice to a clearing. "This is where you will be doing most of your training."

Snowpaw grunted in acknowledgement.

"Start with two laps. And remember what I told you!"

The white tom nodded and started running around the edges of the clearing, sticking close to the tall grass. He gradually picked up speed until he was gliding across the ground. Snowpaw concentrated on curving his spine and reaching forward with his front paws, every stride he took. The apprentice looked down and saw the grass a blur under his paws.

"One more lap!" Snowpaw heard Heatherclaw yowl. He let out a purr of happiness as his paw skimmed across the ground, barely touching; everything around him a mix of greens, blues and yellows, streaming together. Suddenly, Snowpaw skidded to a halt, seeing Heatherclaw come into view a few tail lengths in front of him.

"Very good!" She purred.

"Thanks!" Snowpaw replied, eyes wide with exhilaration. He hopped up and down, winding circles around his mentor. 'What's next? Can we go hunting? More running?"

Heatherclaw rested her tail on his back. "All in good time. But how about now, you take a break while I tell you a little about the Clans."

Snowpaw's tail drooped. "Ok. But _then_ can we go running again?"

The elegant grey she-cat purred, "We'll see."

* * *

Heatherclaw and Snowpaw stopped to lay down in a small clearing surrounded by heather and bracken. The deputy sat down on a small boulder while her apprentice lay down on the grass to groom his dirtied fur.

"Ok, let me start out by saying that there are four Clans: WindClan-that's us-, ThunderClan, RiverClan, and ShadowClan. We share borders with RiverClan and ShadowClan. We are not-"

"Hey, how will I tell the difference between WindClan scent and other Clan scent?" Snowpaw interrupted.

Heatherclaw sighed. "Because RiverClan smells like stale water, ShadowClan smells like pinesap and dank moss, and ThunderClan smells like wet leaves and bracken. And no more interrupting, until I finish!"

Snowpaw wrinkled his nose, and nodded.

The grey deputy continued. "As I was saying, cats from other Clans are not allowed to cross into our borders, and vise-versa. We are not allowed to take mates from other Clans: you must be loyal to WindClan, and WindClan alone. Also, the word of the Clan leader is law; you should never defy your leader; it is against the Warrior Code and is very disrespectful."

"Wait! So if Eaglestar told us to launch an unprovoked and ruthless attack on RiverClan camp, we have to do it? No matter what?"

Heatherclaw sighed, "Sadly, yes."

Snowpaw tilted his head, confused, "But isn't that kinda unreasonable, and really stupid?"

"Yes. But it is part of the Warrior Code."

The white apprentice grumbled angrily. "But what if the leader makes kits go into battle, or unfit cats fight fight?"

"Then the Clan would probably rise against the leader and stop their tyrannical rule." Heatherclaw sighed, "Snowpaw, you have to be logical. If what the leader is doing is against the warrior code, then of course we can defy them."

"Oh, ok. Continue."

Heatherclaw nodded and flicked her tail. "So as you know, the leader is responsible for the Clan; he –or she- decides when and if the Clan goes into battle, who gets who as a mentor, what their warrior name is, and in WindClan's case, whether they become a Tunneler or Moor Runner. Leaders also have nine lives."

Snowpaw's jaw slackened, "Nine lives?"

The deputy nodded, "Yes, nine lives. StarClan grants leaders nine lives so they have the wisdom and strength to lead their Clan properly."

"StarClan?"

"StarClan are our warrior ancestors. They guide is in hard times and watch over us."

"Are you sure that StarClan _exists_?" Snowpaw asked.

Heatherclaw sighed, "Yes. Of course StarClan exists! You will see for yourself when we visit the Moonstone."

The deputy saw her apprentice open his mouth to ask a question. "The Moonstone is where we go to speak to StarClan and where leaders receive their nine lives."

The white tom stared questioningly at his mentor. Heatherclaw let out a purr of amusement at her apprentice's expression. She continued,

"Leaders appoint a deputy. Deputies are second-in-command of the Clan. They sort patrols and give guidance to the leader if necessary. When the leader dies, the deputy takes his or her place as leader then appoints a new deputy."

Snowpaw asked, "And you're deputy, right?"

Heatherclaw nodded. "Now on to warriors. Warrior protect the Clan: they hunt and fight. You, as an apprentice, are training to become a warrior. When warriors become too old to carry out warrior duties, they move into the Elder's den. As an elder, they relax, tell stories to kits and apprentices, share wisdom with the Clan, and get cared for. It is basically a reward for all they have done for the Clan.

"Apprentices, like I said before, train to become warriors by learning to hunt and fight. Apprentices either train as a moor runner, or a tunneler. _You_ are training as a moor runner. Moor runners catch prey above ground and fight. Tunnelers also fight and catch prey, but they hunt underground instead of above ground. Tunnelers in addition to hunting and fighting, create and dig new tunnels.

"Apprentices also care for the elders by fetching new bedding, killing flees and ticks, and collecting water."

Snowpaw wrinkled his nose in disgust and protested, "Do I _have_ to do that? It sounds horrible! I don't want to kill fleas and ticks!"

The grey she-cat shot a reproachful look at Snowpaw. "You will do it; you don't have a choice. Every apprentice has to."

He grunted in response, not happy.

"Clans also have medicine cats and queens. Medicine cats treat illnesses, battle wounds, normal wounds, and interpret signs from StarClan. However, they are not allowed to take a mate or have kits."

"Doesn't that get kind of lonely?" Snowpaw asked.

"They have other duties to worry about and a mate would just distract them. At least that's what the medicine cat code says." Heatherclaw responded.

"Finally, I will talk about queens. Queens are she-cats who live in the nursery while pregnant with kits. After their kits are born, the queen has to wait until the kits are six moons old –at that time they become apprentices- before she can return to warrior duties."

Snowpaw raised his tail. "I have a question: how long does an apprentice have to train before they can become a warrior?"

"It depends on how good the apprentice does in training. But the time span is normally five or six moons."

Snowpaw nodded.

"Ok, let's head back then; the sun is setting and you haven't eaten all day." Heatherclaw meowed.

She jumped down from the boulder, stretched, then ran in the direction of where camp was; Snowpaw followed. When the two WindClan cats reached the camp, Snowpaw suddenly realized how hungry he was; he walked over to the fresh kill pile, grabbed a mouse, and found a spot in the camp still warmed by sunlight. Snowpaw bent down and took a bite of his mouse. It tasted much different from the mice his father caught for him outside of Clan territory; instead of skinny, stringy and unappetizing, this mouse was rich and musky, like peat and saplings.

"Hey, Roguepaw." Sneered a voice from behind him. Snowpaw stiffened, _Owlpaw_.

He whipped around. "So now it's Roguepaw, hm? What happened to loner scum? Did you decide it wasn't fitting anymore? Are we naming each other after what we used to be? Because if so, I have some pretty good names." Snowpaw pointed to a pale tabby tom next to Owlpaw. "Punypaw." And then to the other light brown tom, "Mewlingkitpaw," and finally, to Owlpaw,"Patheticpaw."

Owlpaw and his followers narrowed their eyes and growled softly.

Snowpaw put on an apologetic look. "Oh, I'm sorry. I must've gotten your name wrong, Owlpaw, because you're _still_ pathetic."

A dirt-streaked black tom passing by snickered. "He sure showed you up, Owlpaw!"

Owlpaw hissed in frustration. "You're going to pay for that. And at least I'm pure-Clan cat!"  
"Oh yeah? And what good has that done for you?" Snowpaw retorted. **(A/N Sorry guys, I don't know if that made sense.)**

"Snide, worthless, scum" Owlpaw growled as he stalked away, defeated, with his henchmen following behind him. Snowpaw grinned to himself, and took another bite of his mouse. He finished it in a few more ravenous bite. The white apprentice stood up, looking around, and spotted a black she-cat padding up to him.

"Hi!" She mewed.

"Hello." Snowpaw replied.

"The name's Fernpaw."

"Snowpaw."

Fernpaw laughed, "Yes, I know. How's your training going? I see you are a moor runner."

"It's going pretty well! I learned about the ranks in a Clan today! Did you know that Eagletsar has _nine lives_!?"

"Yeah. Remember I was raised in WindClan?" The friendly apprentice purred.

Snowpaw sighed, "Oh yeah, I forgot I'm the only one who doesn't know any of this stuff."

Fernpaw ran her tail over his spine, "Hey, its ok, it's fun to refresh my memory every once in a while."

The white tom nodded. "Oh, Fernpaw; what are you training as?"

She lifted her muzzle proudly, "I am training as a tunneler."

"Cool!" Snowpaw meowed, "What is it like working underground?"

"Why don't you see for yourself?" Fernpaw replied, suddenly excited. "I'm the only tunneling apprentice at the moment, so it would be nice to have some company for a while. Besides, every apprentice is supposed to spend at least a day underground; to learn basic tunneling skills."

The white tom pictured himself digging tunnels underground, walking in the paw-steps of generations upon generations of WindClan cats before him. "Sounds fun! I'll talk to Heatherclaw about it tomorrow!"

The black she-cat bounced up and down in excitement, "We can even go hunting! I can teach you how to chase rabbits underground! I'm pretty new to it myself, but my mentor knows what she's doing."

Snowpaw smiled, "I can't wait!"

Fernpaw's green eyes sparkled, "Awesome! So, see you tomorrow!" She turned away and headed towards the apprentice den. Snowpaw stood up and stretched. Then he flinched as a sharp pain stabbed at his stomach. _I must've eaten too fast. Either that, or this new kind of prey isn't settling well with me._ Snowpaw suddenly remembered that there was a medicine cat that could help him. As Snowpaw headed to the other side of camp, towards the medicine den, he thought to himself, _I'm glad I joined WindClan. I think my life will be pretty good._ But little did he know, things would only get worse.

* * *

**HEYO! I hope you guys like the chapter!**

**QOTD- What do you guys think about Fernpaw?**

**So I decided to do an Allegiance chapter. BUT, I also decided that I am not going to do SkyClan, becasue it wouldn't make sense; considering this story takes place inbetween Mapleshade's Vengance and Tallstar's Revenge. So keep an eye out for that! Thank you for tuning in, and until next time, hasta la vista, baby!**


	8. Chapter 6

**Heyo guys! How's it going? It's going pretty good for me! i should have internet in about a week, so that's good! This chapter is pretty long; mostly from dialogue though. Now onto the reviews!**

**LunaNight9- Actally, I was thinking about making Heatherclaw the Heatherstar we see in Tallstar's Revenge, but then that would of contradicted what I have planned for later in the story. So sadly, no.**

**Oasis and Chips- Yes, I agree that Ivypool would make and awesome leader too. She really HAS proved her loyalty way more than her sister. Yes, there will be some pretty long chapter coming up (including this one); I like Leafpaw too!**

**Thanks for all the reviews and support, guys! I hope you like this chapter! I was going to say something else, but I forgot. Maybe I'll remeber next chapter...**

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Snowpaw was falling; falling through the blackened sky. He was spiraling down into a never-ending chasm. _Traitor! Do you even care about Blizzard and Storm?!_ Red's voice hissed in Snowpaw's ears. _Loner scum! You'll never become a warrior!_ Hostile faces surrounded Snowpaw and screamed insults at him. Suddenly the white tom smacked into the ground; he felt his body shatter and pain took over all his senses.

His eyes snapped open and Snowpaw let out a faint screech. He shot up in his nest, shaking and saw that half of his bedding was sprawled across the den. Quickly, the apprentice kicked it all into a pile. _I'll fix it later, _he thought. Snowpaw peered out the entrance of the den and stumbled outside into the camp, eyes still bleary. _Well, I'll never get back to sleep now._ He hissed softly and saw that the sun wasn't even up yet. Snowpaw sighed and stalked out of camp, hoping to get some fresh air; images from his dream were flashing in his mind and Red's voice tormented him: _You don't care about Blizzard! You only care about finding a new family to replace your old one!_

Snowpaw shook his head, trying to clear out his mind. He decided to run; it didn't matter where, he just needed to run. So Snowpaw took off at a sprint in a random direction, flicking his tail in acknowledgement as he ran past the cat on guard duty. Snowpaw saw a large rock jutting out on a cliff in the distance. _That must be Outlook Rock!_ He had heard elders talking about jumping off the rock when they were young warriors.

Snowpaw ran over to it and sat down at the edge. He looked behind him saw the sun start to peak out from behind the edge of the moor. The white tom turned around, facing the mountain where the Moonstone was. _I used to live there. Back when Red and I still had a family._ Snowpaw growled. _No. He still had a family: WindClan._ Suddenly the moor lit up: yellows and oranges of all different shades and colors. Snowpaw gasped and almost slipped off the edge of the boulder.

"It's so beautiful…" he whispered.

"Yes. It is, isn't it?" A voice sounded from behind Snowpaw, startling him. He turned around and saw Heatherclaw staring wistfully and the sky, now a bright red and orange color.

"Oh! Heatherclaw!" Snowpaw gasped, "Hi! What are you doing here?"

She smiled at him, "I saw you leave so I decided to follow you. Swallowtail spoke to me and said that you had a stomach ache. Do you want to skip training today?"

Snowpaw shook his head, green eyes wide. "No! I feel fine, he gave me some chervil and celandine; I can still train today."

Heatherclaw nodded, "Sounds good! I think I'll give you a tour of the territory today and then-"

"Oh! Wait!" He bounced and his eyes widened, "I almost forgot! Fernpaw wanted to know if I could join in on her training today."

The deputy narrowed her eyes suspiciously, "I'll have to talk to Embertail first; if she agrees, you can go." Snowpaw opened his mouth to speak but Heatherclaw raised her tail, "But tomorrow, I am taking you on a tour of the territory, understood?"

Snowpaw vigorously nodded, "Yes! Oh, thank you so much Heatherclaw!"

Before she could speak, Snowpaw ran off towards camp, tail raised high. He burst through the tunnel and skidded to a halt in front of the apprentice den. He stuck his head in and saw all apprentice we awake except for Owlpaw. Snowpaw walked past Owlpaw and 'accidentally' stepped on the brown apprentice's tail. Owlpaw shot up and hissed, surprised.

"What's the deal?" He screeched

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Snowpaw mock apologized, "I thought it was a worm."

Owlpaw glared at Snowpaw, "If you think-"

"Hey!" Fernpaw pushed in between the two hostile tom cats. "Knock it off! You're Clanmates for StarClan's sake!"

The brown apprentice spat, "I'll never be his Clanmate! I'd rather walk into a badger set with a broken leg and a deathwish."

Snowpaw wrinkled his nose, "That's the first smart thing you've ever said!"

Fernpaw sighed and shook her head, "What am I ever going to do with you two?"

She turned to Snowpaw, "What did Heatherclaw say about my offer?"

"She said she'd talk to Embertail."

"Great!" Fernpaw purred.

Owlpaw butted in, "What offer?"

"Fernpaw asked me if I wanted to go to tunnel training with her today." Snowpaw responded.

The brown apprentice turned to Fernpaw, outraged, "How come you didn't invite me?"

She scoffed, "Because every time you even see a tunnel, you freak out and run away, squealing like a kit."

Owlpaw growled, tail lashing and stalked out of the apprentice den with Birchpaw and Bramblepaw at his heels.

"Hey, who even are Birchpaw and Bramblepaw related to?" Snowpaw asked.

"Oh, they're brothers. Owlpaw's was the only kit born to his mother and my sister Mintpaw was killed by a fox." Fernpaw's voice trembled when she mentioned her sister.

The white apprentice touched his tail to her cheek comfortingly, "I understand. My parents were killed by a dog and my brother, Red, left me."

Fernpaw nodded and sniffed. "Thanks, Snowpaw. Now let's go get some fresh-kill before Embertail calls us for training." Snowpaw followed the black apprentice out of the den, and walked over to the fresh-kill pile.

"Oooh! Lapwing! I love lapwing!" Fernpaw grabbed a bird from the pile. "Want to share?"

Snowpaw nodded, "Sure! I've never had bird before."

Fernpaw shot him a disbelieving look before walking over to a patch of shade; the Greenleaf sun was already blazing hot. Fernpaw bent over the lapwing and took a bite, swallowing the feathers. She laughed and spit out a feather when she saw Snowpaw's look of disgust.

"Come on! It's good, take a bite!"

Snowpaw wrinkled his nose and gingerly sniffed the bird.

"Um…what about the feathers?"

Fernpaw rolled her eyes, "If you don't want to eat them, pluck them off and you can put them in your nest."

Snowpaw nodded and ripped the feathers off of a chunk of the bird. He laid them in a small pile next to his flank and took a small bite. Snowpaw chewed, not sure what do think at first. As he took a few more bites, gradually he began to relish the taste of the bird.

"This is good!" Snowpaw meowed through a mouth full of feathers. He spit them out and they fluttered to the ground. Fernpaw purred and took a few more bites. Soon only a small chunk was left. Snowpaw glanced at Fernpaw,

"I call the last piece!" Snowpaw and Fernpaw said at the same time. The white tom quickly batted the piece towards him, scooped it up and quickly swallowed it.

"Hey!" Fernpaw growled playfully, "I called that!"

Snowpaw purred, "Yes, but so did I! Besides, I got it first."

The black apprentice cuffed Snowpaw around the ears and stood up. Snowpaw stood up too, and turned his gaze to where Fernpaw was looking. He saw a pretty pale grey tabby she-cat with ginger stripes and yellow eyes walking towards them.

"Embertail!" Fernpaw exclaimed, "Can Snowpaw come to training today?"

_So _this_ is Embertail_. Snowpaw thought.

She nodded. "Yes. We will leave right away. But first, pick up these feathers."

Snowpaw and Fernpaw scrambled to pick up the feathers, and ran back to the apprentice's den to drop them in Snowpaw's nest. When they padded out, Snowpaw waved his tail goodbye to Heatherclaw. She nodded and returned to talking with Wavetalon. Snowpaw saw the two she-cat glare at Embertail and then start whispering again; stealing glances at the Snowpaw. He shook his head and followed Embertail out of the camp, Fernpaw padding by his side.

Embertail walked a little ways before coming to a stop by a few rabbit holes.

"This is where I am going to teach you how to dig." She gestured with her tail at a patch of loose dirt. "Dig."

Snowpaw looked at Fernpaw; she nodded encouragingly. He stepped up to the patch and dug one of his paws into the dirt, scooping it out and pressing it firmly into the ground next to him. Snowpaw reached in with his other paw, and scooped out some more dirt, packing it in next to the other mound. Soon he was scooping out dirt paw-over-paw, and making a compacted pile next to the hole, which was about a tail-length deep by now.

Embertail touched her tail to Snowpaw's back. "You can stop now, Snowpaw."

Fernpaw smiled at him, "Wow! That was amazing! You're a natural!"

Snowpaw purred, "Thanks!"

He shook some soil from his dirt-stained paws, now light brown.

"Ok, let's go. This sun is hot and Smoketail will be waiting for us." Embertail meowed, heading down one of the rabbit holes.

"Who's Smoketail?" Snowpaw asked Fernpaw.

"Embertail's sister." She replied, "They're tunneling-mates."

"Tunneling-mates?"

"You always need a partner when you dig; safety precautions."

Snowpaw nodded and followed Fernpaw down the burrow. Darkness surrounded him as the light slowly fade away. The two apprentices padded down a slope, leading deeper into ground. Fernpaw turned around, all Snowpaw could see was her brilliant green gaze through the half-light.

"Doing ok?" She asked.

"Fine."

The two walked a little further down the slope until there was no light at all. It was cool down in the tunnels, and earth pressed against his sides, and he was very conscious of the weight above his head. Snowpaw heard two sets of paw-steps up ahead.

"So where's this Snowpaw I've heard so much about?" He heard an unfamiliar she-cat's voice up ahead. _That must be Smoketail_, Snowpaw thought.

"He's right here." Snowpaw responded.

"Ah, yes, I can see that; or rather, hear it." Smoketail meowed.

Snowpaw purred.

"So now that you're here, we can finally test out those tunneling skills for real." Embertail said.

"Yes, I hear that you are quite talented." Embertail's sister commented.

"He is!" Fernpaw purred. Snowpaw felt hot under his pelt, embarrassed.

"Alright guys, let's get started." Embertail mewed. "I want the high-moor tunnel finished by leaf-bare. That's only four moons away, so let's go."

"Whatever you say, dear sister o' mine!" Smoketail meowed mockingly.

Embertail snorted and replied, "Follow me." Snowpaw felt the party turn to the left and pad away into a side tunnel. He quickly scrambled after them, bumping into Fernpaw.

"Use your whiskers, ears, tail, and common sense, Snowpaw." Fernpaw chuckled. The white tom nodded, forgetting that she couldn't see him. He heard Fernpaw sigh in front of him. The four cats walked on for a while; Snowpaw could tell that they were heading upwards. _Is that it?_ He thought, _I've only been down here for a little bit_. The ground got more loose and sandy beneath Snowpaw's paws and the earth had a different smell to it, more dry and clear, unlike the musty and damp feeling in the deeper tunnels.

Suddenly the cats camp to a stop in front of him, causing Snowpaw to once again crash into Fernpaw. Smoketail called back,

"I can hear you too fumbling around back there; you're going to scare all the rabbit away if you don't knock it off."

"Sorry, Smoketail." The two apprentices mumbled. Smoketail grunted in satisfaction.

"Ok! We have reached the end of the tunnel." Embertail announced. "I want Snowpaw to come up here and dig with me. Smoketail, you and Fernpaw will be spreading the dirt behind us."

"Got it!" Fernpaw and Smoketail called. Snowpaw felt himself being shoved forward, while another cat pushed past him. The white tom smelled Embertail next to him and Smoketail and Fernpaw behind him.

"Alright, Snowpaw." Fernpaw's mentor began. "Do what you did before when we were practicing, except this time instead of making a pile next to you, pile it behind you. Smoketail and Fernpaw will take that soil and spread it along the ground."

"I think I got it…" Snowpaw confirmed.

"Great!" Embertail meowed. "Then let's start." Snowpaw heard Embertail digging into the earth to the right of him. Gingerly, Snowpaw scooped a clump of dirt off of the wall in front of him and set it down behind him.

"Faster, Snowpaw! The sooner we get done the better." Smoketail called from behind him. Snowpaw meowed an 'ok!' and started digging at a faster pace. After a few more scoops, he began to get more and more confident, digging dirt faster and faster until he was tunneling almost as quickly as Embertail.

"This is great!" Snowpaw purred, bringing pawful after pawful of dirt out from the tightly-compacted ground behind him. Suddenly, as he dug out a stubborn patch of gravely dirt, a bright ray of sunshine shot out from where the dirt used to be.

"Gah!" Snowpaw shouted, falling backwards. He stood up, squinting his eyes and stared, wide-eyed at Embertail.

She look surprised as well. "Well! I guys we must've hit the beginnings of a rabbit burrow!"

Snowpaw looked behind him and saw a beautiful light-grey tabby she-cat with amber eyes. _So _that's_ what Somketail looks like!_ He turned his gaze to Fernpaw. She was smiling and gazing warmly at Snowpaw. He smiled back and turned to Embertail.

"Do we keep going?" Snowpaw asked.

The grey and ginger tabby nodded. "Yes. But I think that Smoketail and I should take it from here. You help Fernpaw with spreading the soil."

"Ok!" He chirped. Smoketail traded positions with him and they continued. The two sisters worked wonderfully next to each other: both digging fast and gracefully. Snowpaw looked over and saw Fernpaw dragging the already-dug soil back through the tunnel, spreading it out. He copied her, and dragged a small pile of dirt backwards. All four cats continued like this until once again they were working in pitch-blackness again.

Strangely though, Snowpaw felt he was working in daylight. Of course he couldn't see, but it felt perfectly natural to work in the dark. A pawful of soil landed in front of him. As Snowpaw spread it out, he couldn't hear any more dirt landing on the ground, and the sound of digging had ceased.

"We're done for today." Smoketail announced.

"You apprentices have done very well and must very hungry and tired." Embertail added. Snowpaw imagined the two sisters sitting side-by-side, eyes shining with pride.

"Now that you mention it I am kind of hungry." Fernpaw meowed.

"And tired." Snowpaw added. He heard Embertail and Smoketail purr.

"Let's go then." Smoketail mewed. "Lead the way, Snowpaw. Just keep walking straight until you see that rabbit burrow we came across before."

Snowpaw chirped an 'ok' and started padding forward, Fernpaw by his side; pelts brushing. Eventually sunshine started lighting up the tunnel, giving it an eerie glow. The four cats padded out of the rabbit burrow, leaving the maze of tunnels behind. Embertail and Smoketail pushed ahead of the two apprentices: looking exactly alike except for Embertail's ginger stripes and yellow eyes.

* * *

The tunneling party returned to camp, dirt streaking their fur, clumping it and encrusting their paws.

"Go eat." Embertail told the two apprentices. They nodded and walked over to the fresh-kill pile. Fernpaw picked up a small rabbit and Snowpaw grabbed a bird: it had become his favorite prey. They padded side-by-side to a shady spot by the Tallrock.

As Snowpaw took a bite of his thrush, this time swallowing the feathers, Fernpaw sat down and took a bite of her rabbit.

"So. How did you like tunneling?" She asked, swallowing her prey.

Snowpaw meowed around the food in his mouth. "It was awesome! I really enjoyed it!"

Fernpaw purred, "That's good."

The white tom looked around the camp and picked out Embertail, Smoketail, and Robindawn's pelt. They were sharing prey together, the two sisters still dirty with sand and soil. Snowpaw heard snatches of their conversation; words like, tunneling, moor, Wavetalon, Moor Runner, tunnelers, and Eaglestar. Snowpaw gave a confused shrug and turned back to Fernpaw. Like him, she had finished her meal.

Fernpaw looked at Snowpaw and laughed out loud.

"Hey! What's so funny?" Snowpaw mewoed, confused.

"It's just…just…you look more like a brown cat than a white cat." She choked out between laughs. Snowpaw looked down and sure enough, his pelt was all brown. Embarrassment surged through Snowpaw and his started vigorously grooming his pelt. He looked up and saw Fernpaw cleaning her pelt too. Snowpaw focused on his own pelt again. He had his chest all clean when he heard Fernpaw snort.

"What is it this time?"

"Oh, nothing. Only that you look like Swallowtail." Fernpaw responded. Snowpaw laughed too, picturing himself and silently agreeing. The apprentice shook his head and returned to grooming. Eventually he had his paws and tail white as well. Snowpaw stood up and spun in a circle.

"Now I _really_ look like Sparrowtail!" He joked. Fernpaw snorted and flicked Snowpaw with her tail. The white (and now brown) tom continued grooming again.

"_What?!"_ Heatherclaw and Wavetalon's screeches sounded from across the clearing. Snowpaw looked up and saw the two Moor Runners standing with their pelts bristling across from Embertail, Smoketail and Robindawn.

"You want to take him out for _another_ tunneling session?" Heatherclaw hissed, disbelievingly.

"Yes!" Embertail growled back, "He did _very_ well and I want to test his skills more."

Snowpaw's eyes widened as he realized that they were talking about him. He shrunk in his pelt and felt eyes burning into him.

Wavetalon's eyes were ablaze. "You are not taking him for another session tomorrow because Heatherclaw is taking him Moor Running."

"Who died and made _you_ leader?" Robindawn hissed at Wavetalon.

"I may not be leader, but Heatherclaw is deputy, and that means that she has more authority over you!" The blue-grey she-cat shot back.

"_ENOUGH!"_ Eaglestar's outraged yowl broke through the two she-cats' argument. The large multi-colored tom stalked over to the five quarreling she-cats. "I _do not_ want you fighting in front of the _whole_ Clan!"

Snowpaw looked around shyly and saw that the whole Clan was staring, open-mouthed at the cats.

"Eaglestar, they're acting like Snowpaw is a Tunneler." Heatherclaw meowed.

"That's because he should be!" Robindawn snarled.

"I have come to a decision." Eaglestar announced suddenly, glaring at Smoketail, Embertail, Wavetalon, Robindawn, and Heatherclaw. The five she-cats looked surprised at Eaglestar's sudden outburst.

"Snowpaw will be a Moor Runner."

* * *

**Sooo, did ya like it? I hope you did! Sorry for all the dialogue; I just couldn't find a way to condense it. Hmmm, anyways onto the QOTD. OH! WAIT! I REMEMEBR NOW! I have another story called Stallionfang's Shadow that I think you guys should check out. It only has one chapter, but I'm working on a second one as of now! Now the QOTD!**

**QOTD- Do you agree with Eaglestar's decision?**

**AOTD- No. I think he should be a Tunneler. DANG YOU EAGLESTAR!**

**Until next time- adieu! **


	9. Chapter 7

**Hey guys! How's it going? Hopefully good. Anyways, this chapter is pretty long; just a forewarning. Thank you guys so much for all the reviews and support and feedback! You guys are so nice! Here are the reviews and I hope you like this chapter!**

**Guest- Yes, definetly Ivypool! And her name is Fernpaw. I just went through and fixed it**

**Blazethetomboy- yeah, having your own account is pretty cool! I agree, I wanted to make Snowpaw a tunneler, but if I did, the story wouldn't be the same.**

**Sorry if I missed any of your reviews! Here is the chapter!**

* * *

"A…a _Moor Runner?_" Robindawn whispered. Her pale orange pelt smoothed and she sat down, sadness filling her eyes. Embertail echoed her,

"A Moor Runner." Her voice wasn't filled with sadness like her companion's, it was filled with rage. "This is outrageous, Eaglestar! I have _never_, in my _whole life_, seen a young cat with that much skill for tunneling! And a cat who doesn't even have Clan blood in his veins!"

Eaglestar shook his head. "I have seen Snowpaw running, and I can tell that he loves it more than anything else."

Snowpaw was suddenly embarrassed that his leader saw him training. He crouched down and curled his tail around his paws, ears flat.

"But Eaglestar, you have never seen him _tunneling_." Smoketail objected. "So how would you know he doesn't love tunneling _more_ than running?"

"Yeah, and what about letting _him_ decide?" Robindawn put in. She had re-gained her courage and was now as angry as Embertail. "Remember we agreed to let him choose when we first met?"

Eaglestar turned to Robindawn. "Snowpaw is in no position to decide right now."

Embertail scoffed, "That's a load of rabbit-dung, and you know it, Eaglestar!"

Wavetalon stepped up, "No, what's a load of rabbit-dung is that you think that our leader doesn't know what's best for our apprentices!"

"It's not that, it's-"The ginger and grey tunneler started saying, but got interrupted by Heatherclaw.

"No, it _is_ that. Eaglestar is your leader and you have to accept his choices and not question him." The deputy growled.

Eaglestar nodded, "Thank you, Heatherclaw, Wavetalon." He turned to the three tunnelers. "You will get more apprentices soon. But Snowpaw will be a Moor Runner whether you like it or not." The leader padded away with his tail flicking angrily behind him. The three tunnelers glared at Wavetalon and Heatherclaw before stalking away to their dens.

Snowpaw turned around to look at Fernpaw. He was expecting a look of hostility and anger, but instead got a look of kindness and sympathy.

"Aren't…aren't you mad at me?" Snowpaw stuttered.

Fernpaw looked taken aback, "Mad? Why would I be mad?"

The white apprentice mumbled, "Because I'm a Moor Runner instead of a Tunneler."

The black apprentice laughed, "It's not your fault that Eaglestar made a stupid decision!"

Snowpaw brightened, "Ok!" then he shuffled his paws, "But that means we can't tunnel together."

Fernpaw nudged him. "Hey, cheer up!" She got a mischievous look on her face, "How about tomorrow night, we go tunneling by ourselves?"

"Can we do that?" Snowpaw looked skeptical

"I don't know! Now one's ever told me not to!" Fernpaw sounded excited, and Snowpaw was too.

"Ok! Meet me outside by Outlook Rock tomorrow night!" Snowpaw meowed, extremely excited. Fernpaw nodded and scampered off to the apprentice den. The white apprentice headed towards the medicine den, still more brown than white. He hid in the growing shadows and snuck up to Swallowtail.

"HEY SWALLOWTAIL!" Snowpaw screamed in the medicine cat's ear. Swallowtail jumped three feet in the air.

"Great StarClan, Snowpaw!" The brown and white tom yelled. "Are you crazy?!"

Swallowtail looked Snowpaw up and down. "What's wrong with your pelt?"

Snowpaw laughed. "I wanted to tell you that we are secretly twins!"

"Haha." Swallowtail mewed sarcastically. "Should I be flattered?"

"I don't know, do you _feel_ flattered?"

The medicine cat snorted and shouldered Snowpaw out of the medicine den. "No. And you should probably get to sleep. I hear that Heatherclaw is going to work you hard tomorrow."

The white tom mumbled an 'okay' before dragging his paws over to the apprentice den. He cast a puppy dog look over his shoulder at Swallowtail who laughed and walked away. Snowpaw looked down at his pelt and cringed. _Dang. This is gonna suck!_

Snowpaw quickly groomed his pelt so he was once pure white; his tongue ached, but it was worth it. He stalked into the apprentice den and looked down at his nest.

"Uuuuugh." Snowpaw growled, frustrated. His wove the pile of feathers into his next and lay some under the wool. _Much better._ The white tom flopped down in his nest and wiggled around. _Wow! This is _really_ comfortable!_ Snowpaw felt his eyelids drop as the other three apprentices started filing into the den.

**(LINE BREAK)**

Snowpaw blinked his eyes open and saw Owlpaw and Birchpaw still sleeping. Fernpaw was gone and Bramblepaw was just waking up too. The grey and brown tom gazed at Snowpaw curiously.

"Um…so I hear you're a Moor Runner now…" Bramblepaw stuttered cautiously, glanced worriedly at Owlpaw and Birchpaw. He walked over to Snowpaw; when Snowpaw flinched away, Bramblepaw blinked friendlily at the white tom. Snowpaw relaxed.

"Um, yeah." Snowpaw muttered, "I don't know what to think about it, though."

Bramblepaw tilted his head, "What do you mean?"

"Well, I love tunneling but I also love running." The white tom lashed his tail, annoyed. "I don't know why, but it just bugs me that Eaglestar made the decision for me."

Bramblepaw shrugged. "The leader always decides what type of warrior you're gonna be."

"Well I'm not sure he made the right decision." Snowpaw grumbled.

The grey and brown tom nudged Snowpaw with his shoulder. "Hey, it's gonna be fine! You'll be a great warrior!"

Bramblepaw suddenly glanced back at the other two apprentices as they started to stir. His eyes widened and he scurried out of the apprentices den. Snowpaw sighed, _I wonder why Bramblepaw acts like such a fox-heart around Owlpaw and Birchpaw. He is actually a nice cat!_

Snowpaw stiffened as Owlpaw stretched his eyes open. The dark brown tom narrowed his amber eyes into slits as his gaze rested on Snowpaw.

"What are you looking at, Roguepaw?" He growled.

Snowpaw sighed. He didn't have time for this. "Look I gotta go." Snowpaw meowed as he started walking out of the den.

"What, you scared of a little confrontation, Roguepaw?" Owlpaw hissed. Snowpaw spun around and glared at Owlpaw as he reached the entrance of den.

"No! But Heatherclaw is taking me out for training." Snowpaw growled.

Owlpaw's tail lashed, "You know what-"

Birchpaw interrupted. "Hey Owlpaw, let him go. No matter how hard he trains, he'll never be one of us." **(A/N One of us! One of us! Sorry, I had to say that xD)** Owlpaw snorted as Snowpaw walked out of the den. Snowpaw looked around the camp, trying to find Heatherclaw. But instead saw Creamfur and Aspenfang beckoning him over to them; next to them sat two other warriors, one a tom and the other a she-cat. Snowpaw smiled, casting a wary glance at the other two cats and trotted over to the two warriors.

"Hello, Snowpaw!" Creamfur purred.

"Hi." He mewed back.

"So. I hear you're a Moor Runner now?" Aspenfang meowed.

Snowpaw nodded. "Seems like everyone's heard."

"Well the argument wasn't exactly quiet." The cream she-cat sitting next to Aspenfang and Creamfur meowed, her blue eyes glinting.

Creamfur started. "Oh! I forgot." She glanced fondly at the two young warriors beside her. "These are my and Aspenfang's kits!"

The dark grey tom dipped his head. "My name is Mossheart."

"And mine is Rabbitwing." The cream she-cat who spoke before meowed.

"Nice to meet you, Rabbitwing, Mossheart." Snowpaw meowed respectfully.

"Hey, Snowpaw? Can we talk tonight?" Aspenfang asked.

The white tom cringed and gave Aspenfang a sad look. "I'm sorry. I can't. I would love to, don't get me wrong; but I have a…thing."

"We understand, Snowpaw." Creamfur mewed. "Maybe tomorrow?"

Snowpaw nodded. "Definetly."

"_Snowpaw!"_ Heatherclaw's called from across the clearing. Snowpaw jumped, startled and turned around. He sighed, flashed an apologetic glance at the family behind him, and stalked over to Heatherclaw.

"You know, for once I would like to have some time off." The white tom growled, green eyes flashing angrily. He no longer wanted to go touring the territory with the deputy any longer.

The grey she-cat looked taken aback. "Who put a burr in your fur?" She scowled.

"Who do you think?" Snowpaw retorted.

Heatherclaw sighed. "Owlpaw again?"

"Him and another." The white tom snarled. "Wait, make that three others."

The deputy hissed in frustration. "Let me guess. You don't want to be a Moor Runner."

Snowpaw's eyes glinted angrily.

"Well, you don't have a choice." Heatherclaw growled. The apprentice glowered at his mentor. "I'm not dealing with this today, Snowpaw. Let's go."

The grey she-cat stalked out of the camp, Snowpaw on her heels, both cats' tails lashing angrily. Heatherclaw headed for the tree line. She walked past a clump of rocks and large dips in the ground. A rank stench wafted from it. _Disgusting!_ Snowpaw wrinkled his nose

Heatherclaw motioned with her tail at the rocks. "That is a badger set. Abandoned of course. We drove that badger off seasons ago."

She veered off to the side and started running. Snowpaw chased after her. Suddenly Heatherclaw skidded to a halt; Snowpaw struggled to a stop and bumped into her.

"Be careful, Snowpaw." The grey she-cat warned, her hazel eyes glinting. "Look down."

The white tom warily took a few steps forward and discovered that the ground dropped away suddenly. Steep cliffs rose on each of a tumbling river, dark and foreboding. Jagged rocks poked up through the water. The thought of a cat falling into it made Snowpaw shiver.

"This." Heatherclaw mewed. "Is the gorge. Beyond it is RiverClan territory."

Snowpaw stared across the gorge at the marshes and trees that made up RiverClan territory.

"Here, follow me, Snowpaw. I'll show you the border marker."

The white tom scampered after his mentor as she led him along the gorge, and stopping at a water fall.

Heatherclaw stepped up to a line of bushes next to a river. "This river marks the edge of our territory. Smell that fishy stench?"

Snowpaw nodded, "That's RiverClan, right?"

"Very good, Snowpaw." Heatherclaw praised him. She started trotting again, and headed along the river. Snowpaw noticed that the trees were becoming thicker the farther they went. Heatherclaw stopped next to a dense patch of trees.

"If we walk into the trees and go a little ways, we will come across Four Trees." The grey deputy nodded in the direction of the trees. "That's where the Clans meet every full moon; under a temporary truce, of course."

Snowpaw stepped up to the tree line and smelled the WindClan scent line. Heatherclaw flicked Snowpaw with her tail and started running. They sprinted past Four Trees and ran for a little before a horrible stench pretty much smacked Snowpaw in his face.

"Ack! What is that _horrible_ smell!?"The white apprentice hissed. Heatherclaw slowed to a trot and then a stop as a wide black straight line came into view.

"The Thunderpath." The deputy stated. Snowpaw padded up to it and put a paw on it, then drew it back quickly. It was hot and sticky, and stung his pads. Suddenly Heatherclaw bowled him over. "Stay away from that! It's dangerous!" She hissed.

"Sorry, Heatherclaw!" Snowpaw stammered, "I didn't know!"

The graceful she-cat's spiked up fur lay flat and she relaxed, "That's ok. Let's move on."

As Heatherclaw walked on the slope next to the Thunderpath, she started to speak again.

"We share a border with ShadowClan." She flicked her tail at the Thunderpath. "Our marker is on this side, theirs is on the other. See that tunnel under the Thunderpath?" Snowpaw turned and saw a shiny grey tunnel leading from ShadowClan's territory to WindClan. "ShadowClan sometimes tries to steal prey by using that. That's why we have such strong scent markers there."

"Ok!" The white apprentice meowed.

"Remember, Snowpaw. Don't cross the Thunderpath without a warrior. Got it?"

"Got it!" Snowpaw chirped. He flinched as he tripped on a stone. Heatherclaw looked at Snowpaw, then away again.

"Getting tired?" She asked. Snowpaw nodded; his legs were starting to ache. He suddenly wondered whether he could meet Fernpaw that night. His thoughts were interrupted as Heatherclaw started speaking again.

"Up ahead is the Twoleg Farm. Don't go there unless you want to be chased by dogs."

The white apprentice gazed at the red Twoleg nest and saw some of the sheep milling around next to it.

"And across the Thunderpath is Highstones. You already know about that." Heatherclaw nodded at the large cliffs and boulders. "You'll have to visit them before you become a warrior."

"There's just one more thing to show you-"The great deputy mewed, but got interrupted by Snowpaw.

"Outlook Rock. I know." The white apprenticed meowed.

"Oh yeah. I forgot." Heatherclaw replied. "Let's head back. It looks like you need some fresh-kill and rest.  
Snowpaw nodded gratefully and ran after his mentor as they headed back to camp. When they arrived, Snowpaw headed straight for the fresh-kill pile; he grabbed a rabbit and went to sit down under the Tallrock. The white tom quickly gulped down his prey and headed to the apprentice den; he wanted to get as much rest as possible before his meeting with Fernpaw.

Snowpaw curled up in his nest and closed his eyes, falling into a light sleep as the sun died out and the hum of his Clan started to die down.

* * *

Snowpaw was startled into wakefulness; he had dreamt that he was plummeting into the gorge. The white tom shook out his pelt and headed out of the den, tip-toeing past the sleeping bodies of Owlpaw, Birchpaw, and Bramblepaw. Snowpaw glanced at the sky and saw that the moon was shining down from the center of the sky. Stars winked at him and sparkled with a comforting warmth.

Snowpaw headed out of the camp entrance to share a word with the two cats on guard, Blizzardwind and Tigerspirit. They nodded at the apprentice as he walked out.

"I can't sleep so I'm going hunting." Snowpaw meowed.

"Ok. And Fernpaw went out a little earlier. Hunting too." Tigerspirit told him.

"Just so you know and don't mistake it for a rogue or something." Blizzardwind added.

"Thanks." The white tom meowed to the siblings. As he glanced behind him, he saw Blizzardwind's white pelt gleaming in the moonlight and Tigerspirit's dark tabby pelt blending in with the shadows. Snowpaw picked up his speed and sprinted to Outlook Rock where Fernpaw was waiting, her black pelt a dark outline on the pale surface of the large boulder.

"Snowpaw!" She purred.

"You know, I feel like a rebel doing this." Snowpaw laughed, "Even though we aren't doing anything wrong!"

Fernpaw cuffed him playfully around the ears. "Come on, let's go!"

They sprinted away together, finding the rabbit hole that Snowpaw had broken through the day before. Snowpaw entered first and Fernpaw followed. It wasn't long before they reached the end of the tunnel where the group had left off before.

"Do you want to dig first?" Snowpaw asked Fernpaw.

"Sure." She answered. The black she-cat started pawing at the dirt in front of her. Suddenly she laughed.

"What?"

"Oh, I just realized why we stopped so early yesterday!" Fernpaw purred. "Embertail and Smoketail hit worm soil."

"Wait, what do you mean?" Snowpaw questioned.

"They both hate worms. So whenever they come across them, they make one of the other Tunnelers dig instead."

Snowpaw laughed. _They'll be so embarrassed when I tell them I know!_ But then Snowpaw frowned. _But I probably won't ever be able to. They're Tunnelers and I'm a Moor Runner._

"Snowpaw!" Fernpaw's voice broke through his thoughts. "Aren't you gonna spread the dirt out?"

"Huh? Oh…right…"Snowpaw felt the worms wriggling in the dirt and he felt bile rise in his throat. "How about we, um…do something…"

"Different?" Fernpaw purred, amused at her denmate's reluctance to touch the worms. "I have an idea."

Snowpaw felt Fernpaw push after him. "Follow me."

She ran ahead of him and he followed. It was a long time before Fernpaw halted. Snowpaw almost ran into her –again.

"What are we doing?" Snowpaw asked, confused.

"Hunting." The tunneling apprentice responded.

"Underground, how?"

"Well, when you hear or scent a rabbit, start chasing it. I will find a way to block it from the other side. Then-"She broke off. Snowpaw didn't know why until he scented rabbit.

"Behind you." Fernpaw whispered. Snowpaw turned around and saw the terrified glint of a rabbit's eyes. Before the rabbit could react, Snowpaw sprung after it. He landed on top and before the rabbit could squeal, bit its spine.

"Nice!" The black she-cat meowed, sniffing the rabbit. Suddenly there was thumping from behind Fernpaw. She turned around and saw a rabbit running towards the two of them. As the rabbit saw the cats, it gave a squeal of fear, stumbled to a halt and thumped away.

"What are you waiting for?" Snowpaw yelled, "Chase it!"

Fernpaw shook her head and sprinted after the prey. Snowpaw lay down his rabbit and ran after Fernpaw.

"Find a way around and cut it off!" Snowpaw yelled as he pushed past his denmate. The white tom sprinted after the rabbit, finding just enough space to curve his spine and reach forward with his paws. He could hear the rabbit just ahead of him, only a few tail lengths away. Suddenly Fernpaw exploded from a side tunnel, scaring the rabbit; it turned around and ran straight into Snowpaw's paws. The white tom nipped its spine.

"Great catch!" Fernpaw purred.

"You did a lot, too!" Snowpaw meowed back.

The black she-cat nudged her friend. "Let's head back. We'll pick up your other rabbit on the way back. The two cats head back down the tunnel, Snowpaw leading. They stopped by the other rabbit and Fernpaw picked it up. She pushed her past Snowpaw and took the lead. Soon the two apprentices found a rabbit burrow and climbed out.

"Wow!" Snowpaw blinked as he looked around. The moon was setting, the sky giving off a dull glow. Fernpaw and Snowpaw had appeared next to the RiverClan border. They looked at each other and set off towards camp, running with their prey bouncing at their legs. When the two apprentices reached the camp, the moon had fully set and the sun had started to rise.

Blizzardwind nodded at the two apprentices as the entered the camp.

"Great catch!" She exclaimed.

"Snowpaw caught both of them." Fernpaw meowed, pride lighting her gaze.

Tigerspirit purred. "Well done. Now go back to camp. You've been up all night."

Snowpaw and Fernpaw padded into camp, laying their catch down on the fresh-kill pile. Heatherclaw stalked out of the warriors den sleepily. Her gaze clouded with confusion as she saw Snowpaw and Fernpaw sitting by the fresh-kill pile. She padded over to the two and questioned,

"Where did you get these rabbits?"

"Snowpaw caught them all by himself!" Fernpaw purred.

"Is this true, Snowpaw?" The deputy meowed.

Snowpaw nodded, "I-"

"Hold on!" Heatherclaw's mew turned into a growl. "These rabbits smell like the tunnels." Her eyes blazed, "And so do you! _You've been in the tunnels _haven't_ you!"_

* * *

**Awwwww, snap! Heatherclaw's discovered the secret! What will she do? I wonder. Well, I already know. But you guys don't know; so I'll make that the QOTD! What do you think Heatherclaw will do? Oh, wait. I should probably make that official.**

**QOTD- What do you think Heatherclaw will do? **

**Fun fact time! Blizzardwind and Tigerspirit are warrior versions of my cats! Blizzardwind=Giggles; Tigerspirit=Buddy**

**Oh, and I thought I might tell you guys; I fixed the whole Leafpaw/Fernpaw thing in chapter five. If you don't know what I'm talking about, I accidentally wrote Leafpaw instead of Fernpaw in chapter five. Just tellin' ya guys that I cleaned that up and that chapter is updated now. I must thank 'Guest' for pointing that out. Without you, Guest, Leafpaw and Fernpaw would forever be the same cat. So thank you!**

**Wow, this is a long ending note! But I have a couple more things to say! One: shout-out to Blazethetomboy (formally Oasis and Chips)! They are a really good writer and you should check out their new story, Polar Opposites. **

**Second: I will be gone from Sunday to next Sunday. I won't be posting because I am going to be Up North and won't much time to use the internet. So that's why this chapter was so long. And because I felt like writing a long chapter.**

**Don't forget the QOTD, and until next time, bye-bye!**

**OH! WAIT! I forgot something! Have you guys ever flexed your muscle when a mosquito bit you? My friends have and they said that the mosquito explodes! Sorry, just wanted to share that! Bye!**

**Oh, wait! I forgot another thing. (Whoops!) I just wanted to thank you guys so much for all the support you've given me throughout this story! I am truly grateful for all the support. Thank you so much! And now, I am actually going to say goodbye.**

**Until next chapter, BYE!**


	10. Chapter 8

**Hey, hey, hey! Eagleflame is back with another chapter of Snowtuft's Pain! What are we on now? Chapter 8? I think so. Anyways, I don't think I had much reviewers on the last few chapters. I don't really mind, but it's nice to know that people actually read the story. So, anyways, on to replying to reviews!**

**Blazethetomboy- No problem for the shoutout! Yes, I had a good time away, I went kyaking aross a lake, so that was fun. You are also partially right in your prediction; Snowpaw and Fernpaw's punishment is...well, your just going to have to find out!**

* * *

Snowpaw and Fernpaw shrunk underneath Heatherclaw's withering glare.

"I um…" Snowpaw started to say.

"Enough!" the deputy hissed. She stalked away to Eaglestar's den, the two apprentices trailing behind her.

"Embertail!" Heatherclaw called. The Tunneler gave her sister a nervous glance and hurried over to where the other cats were.

"Eaglestar!" The deputy called angrily. Fernpaw and Snowpaw shared a nervous glance.

"Come." The leader meowed. He sounded drowsy. The party padded into the den, Heatherclaw's tail lashing angrily.

What is it, Heatherclaw?" Eaglestar mewed. He sat up in his nest and shook his head, eyes narrowing as he saw the other cats in the group.

"I seems that Fernpaw went out for some early morning hunting in the tunnels." She responded.

The irritated leader sighed, "I don't see a problem with that. Heatherclaw, if you don't have anything important to say, don't bother me." He flicked his tail dismissively.

"Eaglestar, you didn't let me finish." Heatherclaw protested. "Snowpaw was with her."

Eaglestar's ear perked up, "Oh, is that so?" He narrowed his eyes at Snowpaw. "Is this true."

Snowpaw nodded, looking down at his paws, "Yes." He whispered. Embertail snorted behind him. He turned around and saw that the grey and ginger she-cat was sitting, tail wrapped around her paws, with a smug expression on her face.

"What's so funny, Embertail?" Heatherclaw growled.

"Oh, nothing." She meowed impassively, "Only that your apprentice, a moor runner, was out secretly digging instead of running."

The deputy growled. "What are you implying?" She took a threatening step towards Embertail.

The Tunneler didn't even flinch. "Oh, I would think that the _deputy_ could figure that out."

"You-"

"That's enough." Eaglestar meowed. Heatherclaw turned her back to Embertail, obviously trying not to jump around and claw the tunneler's eyes out. The leader shifted his gaze to Snowpaw and Fernpaw. "As for you two, you are not allowed out of camp without a warrior escort until I say so." He shot a silencing glare at Snowpaw as he tried to interrupt. "And Snowpaw will be put on elder duty until the full moon. Fernpaw, you're a Tunneler so I see no need to punish you, as you were doing what you were supposed to be doing. That is all. Dismissed."

Snowpaw stood open-mouthed at his leader. He glanced at Fernpaw and her eyes were glittering with disbelief. Embertail was shooting daggers at Eaglestar's turned back. "Aren't you going to make him a Tunneler?" She hissed.

Eaglestar slowly turned around, yellow eyes blazing. "And _why_ would I do that?"

Embertail held his gaze, unflinching. "Well obviously he wants to tunnel. Why else would he have gone down in the tunnels in secret?"

The angry leader shifted his fiery gaze to Snowpaw, causing the white tom to flinch. "I said he would be a Moor Runner. And that's _final._" The leader turned his back to the cats. "I thought I said you were dismissed."

The four cats quickly hurried out of the den and into the sunlight. Embertail beckoned for Fernpaw to follow her, the two she-cat padded away.

"Well, uh, I better go tend to the elders!" Snowpaw mewed quickly, desperate to escape Heatherclaw's wrath. But when she turned to him, her eyes were filled with not rage, but helplessness.

"Snowpaw." The deputy meowed, "Do you want to be a moor runner?"

The white apprentice was taken aback. "I-I, I don't know."

"Well, which do you enjoy more, tunneling or running?"

"I don't know."

Heatherclaw sighed and shook her head. "What am I ever going to do with you?" She started walking away, "Battle training tomorrow."

Snowpaw sighed and trotted over to where the elder's den was. He'd only been in the Clan for such a small time-span, and yet he had caused so many problems. The white tom shook his head and tried to clear his thoughts. _I have to help the elders now. It's my duty until the full moon_. Snowpaw stuck his head into the den where there were three cats, two toms and a she-cat. A deep ginger she-cat with icy blue eyes lifted her head.

"Ah, yes. Embertail said that we would have a little worker." She mewed.

"'Ey, shut up! I'm tryin' sleep 'ere!" A dark golden tom shot Snowpaw and the other elder a withering glare through his brown eyes.

"Don't mind Goldenpelt." The ginger she-cat meowed. "He's always grumpy."

"What'd ya do to get ol' Goldenpelt so angry, Iceflare?" A dark brown tom and sat up.

"We got ourselves a helper." Iceflare purred. The tom nodded.

He turned his head to Snowpaw. "My name is Scarmuzzle." Snowpaw stared at the elder's muzzle and noticed how heavily scarred it was.

"I- I can see that." He stuttered. Scarmuzzle laughed.

"If your done standing there, yapping, I would like some fresh kill." Goldenpelt growled.

"Sounds good." Iceflare agreed. Scarmuzzle nodded.

"On it!" Snowpaw chirped. He scampered away to the fresh kill pile and picked up one of the rabbits he caught and a thrush. The white apprentice hurried back over to the elders den and dropped the prey in front of the cats.

"I caught the rabbit." Snowpaw meowed, pride in his voice.

"Well done." Iceflare and Scarmuzzle meowed at the same time.

"Yes, good job." Goldenpelt added gruffly.

Iceflare was visibly shocked and staggered backwards. "Wow! Goldenpelt must really like you! He has _never_ given an apprentice praise before!"

"Th- thanks!" Snowpaw stuttered, the golden elder grunted. "Is there anything else I can do?"

"Well." Scarmuzzle pondered. "I think we need new bracken and wool." Iceflare nodded and mumbled an agreement around her mouthful of prey.

"Ok! I'll be back as soon as I can." He padded out of the den in search of a warrior that could accompany him out of camp.

"Snowpaw!" A voice called from behind him. Snowpaw turned around and saw Rabbitwing trotting towards him.

"Hi Rabbitwing!" Snowpaw purred. "Can you come with me to collect bracken? I'm not allowed out of camp without a warrior escort."

"Yeah, I heard."

Snowpaw sighed, "Has everyone in camp heard?"

"Pretty much"

The white apprentice sighed again and flicked his tail. "Let's go."

The two cats trotted out of camp and into the moor. They broke into a run and headed toward the farm; near it sheep were grazing and rolling on the ground. As they came closer to the large animals, Rabbitwing broke the awkward silence.

"So, I heard that you went out for some late-night tunnel running." The cream she-cat teased.

"Shut up. I was feeling rebellious, what's wrong with that?" Snowpaw mumbled.

"Nothing." Rabbitwing mewed, "Just nothing."

The white tom snorted and stopped next to a black sheep. He scooped up a bunch of wool and rolled into a ball, tucking it under his chin. Snowpaw looked over and saw Rabbitwing doing the same.

"You look like a badger with a chin bulge." The apprentice laughed.

"Haha, so funny." The cream she-cat mewed sarcastically. "Let's go get that bracken. I know a place."

The two WindClan cats ran awkwardly towards the Highrock. Next to the large stone was a very large patch of bracken. They laid down their wool and went to nip of pieces of bracken. Gradually a large pile built up; Snowpaw picked half the stack up in his mouth, and tucked the wool ball back under his chin, Rabbitwing did the same. Eventually the cats made it into the elder's den; by now it was a little past sun-high. Snowpaw set down the nest material and saw Rabbitwing heading out of the den.

"Bye Rabbitwing!" Snowpaw called after the cream warrior. "And thanks!"

She flicked her tail in response and padded out of the den.

"You're finally back!" Scarmuzzle's gruff voice sounded from behind Snowpaw.

"Took you long enough!" Goldenpelt grumbled

"Oh, shush!" Iceflare mewed. "Look how much material he brought back!"

Snowpaw looked down at his paws, embarrassed. "Um… would you like me to fix your nests now? Or later?"

Scarmuzzle stood up and stretched, "Now sounds good to me."

He looked at Iceflare and Goldenpelt, "Coming?"

"Yeah, I'll be there in a sec, first I need to help Goldenpelt get up." The ginger she-cat replied. Scarmuzzle nodded and shuffled out of the den. Snowpaw watched as Iceflare padded over to her denmate and started to nudge him to his feet.

"I can get up on my own!" Goldenpelt protested. But as he tried to stand up, he fell back into his nest. Snowpaw hurried over to the old cat, troubled, and nudged him up. "Here, let me help."

Goldenpelt grunted in response and blinked gratefully. "Thanks."

Iceflare still showed her surprise at Goldenpelt's kindness towards Snowpaw, but just shook her head and padded out of the den, supporting Goldenpelt on her shoulder. Snowpaw looked around and sighed; there was so much to do. He started off with cleaning out the elders' dirt, using the old nest materials to cover the dirt so he didn't have to touch it. After the den was cleaned out, Snowpaw made the nests, making sure that they were dense and thickly lined.

The white tom stepped back and surveyed his work; it was all good, except for one thing: feathers. He ran out of the den and looked around camp for a cat who was eating a bird. _There! _Eaglestar was bent over a pheasant, Swallowtail next to him. Snowpaw ran over to the two cats and swung the pheasant over to him before Eaglestar could take the first bite.

"What is the name of StarClan are you _doing_, Snowpaw!" Eaglestar hissed.

"Oh, um…"Snowpaw suddenly realized how rude it was to take the leader's prey. He also realized how hungry he was. "I need feathers for the elders' nests. Could I, um, have some of these?" He gestured to the pheasant.

"Well-" Eaglestar sputtered, getting angry.

"If it's for the elders, then of course!" Swallowtail butted in, giving his leader a silencing glare as the multi-colored tom tried to interrupt.

Snowpaw bowed his head. "Thank you Swallowtail." He quickly plucked most of the feathers off of the bird, flicked his tail, and hurried back to the elder's den. Snowpaw padded up to each nest in turn and wove feathers into the bracken, making the outside soft as well as the inside. When he had finished, the apprentice sat back and admired his work. He walked back outside into the camp, and saw all three elders sharing tongues in a ray of sunshine.

"Hey!" The white apprentice called to them. Goldenpelt lifted his head and beckoned Snowpaw over. When Snowpaw reached them, he flopped down on his side, it was the first time he had been able to rest all day.

"Is there anything else I need to do? Any ticks, fleas?" The white apprenticed asked.

Iceflare shook her head. "Nope." She turned her gaze to Scarmuzzle and Goldenpelt. "You guys?"

"No."

"Nope."

"Alright then!" Snowpaw chirped. "Your nests are freshly made, and the den is clean. Just call my name if there is anything you need! The elders nodded, stood up, and shuffled over to their den. Snowpaw sighed with relief, he was finally done! The apprentice was about to head over to the fresh-kill pile and grab a small rabbit, when someone called his name.

"Snowpaw!"

Snowpaw looked around, trying to pinpoint the cat who called.

"Snowpaw, over here!" The voice called again. Finally Snowpaw spotted the cat, it was Creamfur. She was waving her tail at him. He scampered over to the she-cat, who was sharing two rabbits with her family.

"Hi Creamfur!" Snowpaw purred, "And Aspenfang, Rabbitwing, Mossheart."

"So, how did your first day of Elder duty go?" Aspenfang asked.

Snowpaw shrugged **(A/N, I think cats can shrug, Blaze. I ****_think_****…)** "It was fine. A lot of work though. Kind of tires you out."

"Oh yes, cracking fleas and killing ticks is _such_ hard work!" Mossheart chuckled, sarcasm edging his voice.

"Like you would know!" Rabbitwing mewed, "You've never carried three nests worth of bracken and wool across the moor in one trip!"

"Touché." The brother tipped his head and meowed.

"Creamfur laughed as she saw Snowpaw staring intently at the rabbit in between her paws. "Do you want some?"

Snowpaw nodded vigorously. "Yes please!"

Creamfur purred and pushed the rabbit towards the white apprentice. He gave the cream warrior a grateful look and started gobbling down the rabbit. He only ate half, before realizing that Aspenfang and Creamfur didn't get any fresh kill. He looked up, ready to ask them if they wanted some, when he paused. The two mates were staring fondly at Snowpaw. He cocked his head, confused.

"Um, do you want some?" The white apprentice nudged the fresh-kill.

Aspenfang shook his head. "You eat it."

Snowpaw nodded and continued eating, more slowly this time. The apprentice decided that he should leave some for Aspenfang and Creamfur. He stood up and pushed the remainder of the rabbit in front of the mates. "Here." He said.

"Thanks, Snowpaw." Creamfur purred. Snowpaw nodded.

"See you tomorrow." He said to the family of four. They echoed a 'goodnight'. Snowpaw padded to the apprentice den and cringed when he smelled Owlpaw and Birchpaw already inside. _Rabbit-dung!_

Snowpaw entered the den and noticed how dark it seemed, the rapidly setting sun was casting weird shadows in the den. The tom snuck a glance at the other apprentices and saw them smirking; Snowpaw prepared himself for more jeering and insults. Sure enough, as Snowpaw neared his nest, the insults started flying.

"So, how is elder duty going, _Roguepaw_?" Owlpaw sneered.

"Yeah, have the smelly old coots made you one of them yet? I'm sure you'd fit in perfectly." Birchpaw jeered.

Snowpaw sighed. He really didn't feel like arguing right now; so he decided to ignore them. The white tom plopped down in his nest, closed his eyes, and curled his tail around his nose.

"Ignoring us, Roguepaw?" Owlpaw hissed in Snowpaw's ear. The white tom flattened his ears, trying to block out his tormenters' voices. Suddenly a blow struck Snowpaw's muzzle, drawing blood.

Snowpaw opened his eyes, enraged and saw Owlpaw sitting triumphantly beside his victim with blood dripping from his claws.

"You." Snowpaw growled, eyes flaming and narrowed into slits. Owlpaw was unfazed, but behind him, Birchpaw's eyes were wide with fear.

"Yes, me." Owlpaw smirked.

"What gives you the right to lay a paw on me?" The white tom hissed, eyes glittering threateningly. The dark brown tom hesitated before speaking, looked fearful for a second but then regaining is arrogance.

"What gives _you_ the right to be in WindClan?"

It was Snowpaw's turn to smirk. "I think the question you should be asking is _who_ gave me the right. And the answer to that is Eaglestar. Your leader. Oh, and Heatherclaw, your deputy. And I almost forgot, Swallowtail, your medicine cat."

"Yeah, well-"Owlpaw mewed.

"_What is going on here?!"_A voice hissed angrily from the entrance of the den. Owlpaw turned around and came face-tom face with an outrage Blizzardwind.

"Well?" She growled. The black and white warrior was right next to Snowpaw's nest, glaring daggers at Owlpaw. Bramblepaw was behind her, smiling slightly. _He must have brought Blizzardwind here when he heard Owlpaw and I fighting!_

"No? Nothing?" Blizzardwind meowed when Owlpaw didn't answer. "Ok then. Because of this, and because I know this isn't the first time you've bullied him, you and Birchpaw will not be going to the Gathering."

"What!" Owlpaw screeched. "That's so unfair! You have no right-"

"Watch your mouth!" The warrior growled menacingly. "Remember _I _am a warrior and therefore I have much more authority than _you_." She turned away, tail twitching. "Now sleep. I don't want to hear another _peep_ out of you tonight!" She cast one more challenging look around the den before stepping out into the now light-deprived camp.

Owlpaw stalked away to his nest, tail lashing angrily. Birchpaw's mouth was still open in shock, but he laid down in his nest, too. Bramblepaw did the same, giving Snowpaw the tiniest nod; the white tom returned the gesture and curled up. When Snowpaw's tail touched his nose, it stung like crazy. He quickly whisked it away and saw blood soaking the tip of his tail. The apprentice sighed and decided to visit Swallowtail in the morning.

Just as Snowpaw closed his eyes, he saw Fernpaw scamper into the den and lay down in his nest. Snowpaw realized that he would probably never tunnel with her again, or just never tunnel in general. He shivered thinking about his future, but eventually drifted into a light sleep. His dreams were full of the thumping of rabbits' paws, tunnels, Fernpaw's bright green eyes, Owlpaw's sneering face, Eaglestar's enraged and fiery gaze and Goldenpelt's bright coat.

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**OK, so that was the chapter. Sorry that is was…well, it was really just a filler. Well, an important filler. Anyways, the next chapter should be much better. There ****_will_**** be some time-skips, just so I don't have to right a ton of filler chapters to reach the Gathering chapter. So, yeah.**

**Forewarning: the QOTD is kind of weird, but I've been wanting to ask this question for a while, just because I thought it would be interesting to see your answers. And because it is weird, I am going to have ****_two_**** QOTDs! The first one is just a 'for the heck of it' question, and the second is the contest question. **

**QOTD(#1)- Do you want a Warriors movie? Please put your explanation in there as well.**

**AOTD(#1)- No. I would honestly HATE it. I mean, look at what they did to Guardians of Gahool! They basically put all books into one movie. I have a feeling they would do that to Warriors, and I would hate seeing the cats come to life and hearing their voices just because it would ruin my image of them (*cough cough* Divergent *cough cough*)**

**QOTD#2- How do I write? (Like, do I plan things, do I micromanage, do I not plan at all, do I somewhat plan, do I just go with it, etc.)**

**Whoever correctly answers the QOTD gets a character in my new story, Emberstar's Calling! **

**Thank you for reading, and until next time, Sayonara! **


	11. Chapter 9

**Greetings fellow human! Eagleflame is back -finally- with another chapter of Snowtuft's pain! Hooray! Woooh! Yeah, it's been a while. But hopefully my brain is back-in-action and refreshed!**

**WARNING- This chapter is kind of short, so...BEWARE!**

**And I don't know if I've done the disclaimer yet, so I'll do it right now!**

**DISCLAIMER- I sadly do not own Warriors. HOWEVER I DO own my OC's.**

**And now onto the reviews!**

**Blazethetomboy- Yes, I do agree on the 'true fan' thing. And you are half correct, I DO come up with a lot of 1am plot twists. ATYQ (answer to your question)- Yeah, I hate it when people do that! Anyways, I have found TONS of evidence of cats shrugging. Strangely, only Firestar has shrugged...hm...**

**Eltapink- *nods* Yurp. And you got it right! One character for you! *mimics the vampire from Sesame Street* Ah ah ah! And of course I know you! :p**

**Crazy Fennec Fox- Yes! Mosquitoes DO explode! And thank you! Yes, you do have a point about the Warriors movie/tv series. But I still wouldn't want one, because every time I would read the books, I would picture what the cats looked like in the movie. So, yeah. And yes! You also got QOTD#2 right! An OC for you! You actually described my writing style perfectly!**  
**Once again, thank you for all the support guys! Even though I haven't posted in a while, you've kept on readin'!**

**And now onto the story! Wooh!**

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Snowpaw woke with a start. For once he wasn't woken up by an angry Heatherclaw! Score!

"Snowpaw!" Heatherclaw shouted into the den. Snowpaw sighed; he was sorely mistaken. The apprentice dragged his paws out of the den. After getting up early the previous morning, working all day, then staying up late; he was exhausted.

"You know, for once; just once, I would just like to sleep in." Snowpaw grumbled, glaring at his mentor.

"You can sleep when you're an elder." She retorted. "And speaking of elders…"

The young tom hissed in frustration, he had forgotten about the elders.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm on it." Snowpaw growled. Walking over to the fresh-kill pile, he noticed that only a few pieces of prey were sitting next to the rock. Hopefully a hunting patrol will be coming back soon. The tom picked up the last three pieces of prey and carried them over to the elder's den. He stuck his head into the entrance and called a tentative hello.

"Ah! Welcome back young'un!" Goldenpelt mewed gruffly.

"I see you have returned. And with fresh kill!" Iceflare purred, blue eyes shining.

"I call the biggest mouse!" Scarmuzzle meowed, hooking a mouse with his claw.

"Well, I'm not that hungry, so I'll take the other mouse." The ginger elder added.

"I wanted the thrush anyways." The oldest elder, grumbled. While the older cats ate, Snowpaw searched their pelts for ticks and fleas; finding a few of the insects and cracking them in between his teeth.

"All done." Snowpaw announced.

"Thanks." Iceflare purred.

"Have fun at training!" Scarmuzzle added. Goldenpelt just grunted. The white tom gave the cats a nod and padded out into the camp. He spotted Heatherclaw and wove his way in between cats until he reached her side.

"I'm ready." Snowpaw told his mentor.

"Good." She responded. "Let's go."

The two cats padded out of camp, Heatherclaw in the lead. Snowpaw could tell that she was heading towards the training clearing. When they arrived, Heatherclaw spun around and jumped on Snowpaw, pinning him down by the neck. The white tom's eyes widened in shock and he let out a yowl of surprise.

"Always be ready for an opponent's attack." The deputy meowed, stepping away from Snowpaw. She turned her back on him and padded into the center of the clearing.

"Now-"Her mew was cut off as Snowpaw bowled into her. This time, pinning her down.

"Like that?"

Heatherclaw shook him off and kicked his hind legs out from under him causing the tom's head to smack into the ground

"Yes. Except you underestimated your enemy." She responded.

Snowpaw grunted and sat up, tail swishing against the ground. "Fine."

Heatherclaw gave her apprentice a 'really' look. "Snowpaw. You can't mope around just because a warrior beat you. And may I add, a warrior who is older than you and has much more experience."

Snowpaw grunted and stood up. "Can I try it again?"

The deputy nodded. "Of course."

The apprentice smiled to himself. Suddenly he lunged at Heatherclaw, sliding sideways under her body, knocking her legs out from under her body. She collapsed on the ground, momentarily stunned. Snowpaw took the opportunity to do some offensive damage; he jumped on his mentor's shoulders and swiped his paws at her face, claws sheathed. He got a few good blows in before Heatherclaw rolled onto her back, squishing Snowpaw. He tried desperately tried to push her off, but failed.

"Can you please get off me now?" The white tom grunted. "I can't breathe."

Heatherclaw laughed and rolled off of the apprentice. "Try again. You did well, but you forgot that I'm heavier and stronger than you."

Snowpaw nodded and squared up with his mentor, circling each other. He waited for her to make the first move; eyes flicking back and forth. Suddenly Heatherclaw lunged forward, stopping right in front of Snowpaw, then drawing back. The white tom raised his paws defensively, expecting Heatherclaw to attack, revealing his stomach. The grey deputy darted towards the young tom, and raked her claws down his exposed stomach. Snowpaw dropped down on his paws and glanced at his mentor's paws; tufts of his fur were snagged in between her claws.

"I thought you said claws sheathed." Snowpaw mewed in an accusing voice.

Heatherclaw shrugged. "I figured that a little danger would keep your head clear."

The white tom sighed. "Yes, I guess so."

The she-cat nodded, "Good."

She stood across from her apprentice, "Again."

Snowpaw nodded briskly and shook out his fur. The white tom examined his mentor; she was standing loosely with her tail up and hazel eyes sparkling. I'll leap towards her left foot, then swipe her face. Snowpaw tensed his muscles and leapt. But Heatherclaw stepped to the side and swatted Snowpaw to the ground.

The white tom looked up at his mentor through confused eyes, "Wha- how?" He sputtered.

"Your eyes betrayed her plan." She responded.

Snowpaw sighed for not the first time that day. "Ok, I got it."

He tried again, this time looking at the left leg, but faking to the right. He then swiped his paw across Heatherclaw's face. But then the grey deputy dodged to the right as Snowpaw tried to lunge again. She nodded and an approving light lit her gaze.

(LINE BREAK)

The pair of cats flopped down on the grass; they had been training all day and the setting sun was turning the sky into a deep golden color.

Heatherclaw stood up, "Alright, let's go Snowpaw. You've been training all day and haven't had a scrap of fresh-kill."

Snowpaw rolled onto his stomach and stretched. "Ok. But you have to help me with the elders."

"I'll get one of the other apprentices to do it."

The white tom's eyes widened in fear. "Owlpaw?"

Heatherclaw chuckled. "No. Definitely not Owlpaw."

Snowpaw sighed in relief. He stood up and walked over to his mentor, stumbling a little. Heatherclaw looked her apprentice up and down with worried eyes.

"How about we get you some fresh kill now?" She mewed, anxiety lacing her mew.

Snowpaw warily shook his head, "No, no. I'm fine."

The tom turned his head towards the direction of the camp and started walking slowly, hunger squeezing his stomach like thorn-sharp claws, causing him to collapse on the ground.

"Snowpaw!" Heatherclaw gasped. She ran up to the apprentice and crouched down behind him. "You need to eat."

All Snowpaw could do was groan in response. Heatherclaw cast a worried glance at her apprentice before dashing away. The white tom rolled over onto his side and curled up into a small ball. Another spasm of pain racked his body.

Heatherclaw came rushing back up the hill, this time with a rabbit clamped in her jaws. The gray warrior rushed over to Snowpaw and nudged the rabbit towards him.

"Eat, Snowpaw."

The apprentice shook his head and pushed the prey away from his face.

Heatherclaw gave him a hard stare. "That wasn't a suggestion, Snowpaw."

He groaned and took a small bite. But the prey only made things worse; making Snowpaw feel five times worse. The tom bit back a yowl of pain and frantically shoved the rabbit away from him.

"Ok, I'm bringing you to Swallowtail." Heatherclaw nudged Snowpaw to his paws, but he fell right back down. "Come, on. You have to help me here, Snowpaw. I'm not strong enough to carry you by myself."

"I...can't..." Snowpaw managed to choke out. He convulsed in pain again and hissed. Heatherclaw sighed and grabbed her apprentice's scruff and started to half carry - half drag him across the ground. She grunted with the effort and dropped Snowpaw on the ground, panting.

"Heatherclaw!" A cat called out to the deputy. The gray she-cat turned her head to see Rabbitwing racing towards the two cats. "What's wrong with Snowpaw?" The cream warrior asked. Amusement glittered in her blue eyes. "Did you overwork him?"

"No-" Heatherclaw broke off as Snowpaw cried out in pain. Rabbitwing's immediately crouched down next to the white tom.

"What happened?" She closely examined Snowpaw, pressing her paw into his stomach, causing the apprentice to flinch. "What's wrong with him?"

Snowpaw squeezed his blue eyes close, hoping that the pain would go away. Heatherclaw shook her head helplessly. "I don't know. He suddenly collapsed and whenever I touch him, he cries out in pain. At first I thought that it was hunger, but one day without food can't kill a cat."

Rabbitwing nodded in understanding. "Ok, I think we should take him to Swallowtail."

The deputy nodded. "You read my mind."

She padded over to Snowpaw and lifted him up by his scruff. The young tom grunted as Heatherclaw laid him over Rabbitwing's back. The cream she-cat almost collapsed from the extra weight. Heatherclaw quickly bent down to help Rabbitwing carry Snowpaw. The young tom was now sprawled across both she-cats' back.

This is so embarrassing! Snowpaw thought as Heatherclaw and Rabbitwig neared the camp. Owlpaw's going to laugh at me for a moon!

"Wait." Snowpaw rasped. The two warriors stopped, exchanging a confused glance. "I can walk now."

"Wait, no-" Heatherclaw meowed, but Snowpaw had already rolled off. He fell on his side as he toppled to the ground, but shook his head and shakily stood up. Rabbitwing hurried forward to support Snowpaw as the apprentice started to lean to the side.

"I can do this by myself, Rabbitwing." The tom growled, shaking the warrior off. He stumbled forward, the two she-cats trailing behind him. Snowpaw pushed through the heather leading to the camp and veered towards the apprentice's den.

"Snowpaw!" Fernpaw gasped, running up to her friend. Her eyes widened in distress as she saw the state Snowpaw was in. "What's wrong?!"

But Snowpaw didn't hear her. His ears filled with a loud ringing noise, drowning out all other sounds. The edges of his vision became shadowed with darkness; Snowpaw felt a bolt of white-hot pain shot through his stomach before collapsing to the ground. The last thing Snowpaw remembered was Fernpaw's terrified face, before falling into an endless black abyss.

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**I hoped you guys liked the chapter! I know it's been what, two months? since I posted the last chapter, but school has been hectic and I've just been so busy. Yay. School.**

**So this chapter was a bit of a filler, but it had to be in order to set up what's going to happen next. Well, actually, I wasn't planning on adding this part in, but I thought that I needed a little filler so I wouldn't skip a whole month of the story. So...yeah.**

**Oh, I was writing the part when Snowpaw and Heatherclaw finished training when I thought "What if I just kill off Heatherclaw right now?" But sadly, that wouldn't work out because she has an important role for the story. So, I decided to write an alternative ending! WOOH!**

**Here it is! The white tom sighed in relief. "Ok, thanks." He stood up, stretched and started to trot towards camp. He looked back over his shoulder at his mentor and saw her standing stock-still, staring at something past Snowpaw. The tom slowly turned his head around and saw a badger standing a few tail lengths away from him. The great brute's tiny eyes were glittering with hatred. It let out an earsplitting snarl and lumbered towards the two cats. Snowpaw arched his back, and leapt at the black and white creature, but the badger just swatted the apprentice away with its paw. It jumped on Heatherclaw and with one swipe of it's giant paw, sent her flying; causing the deputy to smash into a rock. The grey she-cat slid down the rock face, blood pooling from a gashing wound in her head. Snowpaw let out a wail of despair. His vision clouded with a red haze, and all he could think about was killing that badger. The enraged apprentice leapt at the badger, dragging his claws down the badgers face, claws slicing deep into it's flesh. The white and black creature howled in pain and bounded away. Snowpaw, vision clearing, stumbled over to his fallen mentor. He gave a cry of sorrow and pain and pushed his muzzle into Heatherclaw's grey fur. She was gone. Forever.**

**Yeah, so that's it! Sorry if I don't sound very upbeat right now, but I'm exhausted. Anyways, onto the QOTD!**

**QOTD#1- What is/was your favorite school subject?**

**AOTD#1- Language Arts**

**And because that was an academic question, I think we should do a fun question!**

**QOTD#2- What do you think happened to Snowpaw and how do you think Owlpaw will react?**

**Oh! I almost forgot! Crazy Fennec Fox and Eltapink got the QOTD#2 right last chapter, so they get to create a character for my new story Emberstar's Storm! I would prefer if you two DM'd me your OC.**

**Until next chapter, HAVE A NICE WEEK! :D**


	12. Chapter 10

**Hey guys! New chapter! Woooh! So, I got asked this question a few times, and because it won't be a giant spoiler if I tell you, I decided to answer the question. The question was: Why did Eaglestar make Snowpaw a Moor Runner instead of a Tunneler? Well I can answer that question. The answer is: Eaglestar obviously knew that Snowpaw had been a rogue before he joined WindClan, so Eaglestar wanted to show Snowpaw that things didn't always work out the way he wanted them to. And because it would be unrespectful to give the deputy's apprentice to another cat. So yeah! That was the reason. Now everybody knows :)**

**And I'm so sorry for not posting in a few months. School has just consumed most of my life and I got sick over Chrsitmas break, so I couldn't write them. Once again, I am so sorry! Oh, and the chapter is really short, by the way, so I'm sorry about that too.**

* * *

For the next quarter moon, Snowpaw faded in and out of consciousness. The times he was awake he caught glimpses of cat's faces and the bright moor sky. But when the darkness swallowed him back up, the tom wandered through dark, and vacant woods where the streams were made of a green muck and the plants wilted and Silverpelt didn't Snowpaw would glimpse a wiry orange and black she-cat, but otherwise he was alone.

When he finally awoke, it was to blinding light. Snowpaw squinted his eyes and let out a hiss of annoyance.

A black pelt stirred beside him. The tom turned his head and saw Fernpaw curled up beside him. Suddenly the beautiful she-cat's eyes snapped open.

"Snowpaw!" She yowled happily.

This caused Snowpaw to flinch: her sudden outburst hurt his ears and added to pain that was echoing through his head.

"Hi Fernpaw." The white tom rasped, his voice surprisingly hoarse.

Fernpaw lunged forward and covered Snowpaw's face with licks. "I thought you would never wake up!"

Snowpaw cocked his head. "How long was I asleep for?"

"It felt like forever!"

"More like two weeks." A voice interrupted from the shadows of the den. Swallowtail emerged from the shadows. "I may be a medicine cat, but I still need my sleep."

Fernpaw ducked her head, embarrassed.

But Swallowtail chuckled and lightly flicked Fernpaw's ear with his tail. "It's no problem." He turned his attention to Snowpaw. "Welcome back from the dead!"

Snowpaw smiled and stood up on wobbly legs. "Wooft. That's a weird feeling." He shook each of his legs in turn, gradually regaining feeling. "Speaking of weird feelings, why did I pass out?"

"We're not entirely sure..."The medicine can mewed. "There were no signs of illness, which is weird. So I'm just guessing here, but I think it might be the stress of Clan life and over-working. Doesn't seem likely, but that's the best explanation I can come up with."

The white tom nodded slowly. "Ok, I guess I can believe that."

Swallowtail smiled. "Oh, by the way, I spoke to Eaglestar yesterday and he told me that if Snowpaw wakes up in time, both of you could go to the Gathering."

* * *

Snowpaw bounced on his paws. "My first gathering!" he yowled.

Fernpaw, walking next to him purred. "Mine too!"

The two young cat's padded next to each other, shoulder fur brushing. "Really?" Snowpaw asked. "I thought you would've been to at least one before!"

The black she-cat knocked her shoulder into Snowpaw's. "Silly! I'm the same age as you!"

The tom laughed and continued to pad on. "Hey, Fernpaw, Snowpaw." Tigerspirit called back. "When you're talking to other Clan cats, be sure not to reveal any secrets, but be sure not to be too distant otherwise you'll seem unfriendly."

The strong warrior nodded and turned back around, running to catch up with Blizzardwind.

Snowpaw nodded. He snapped his head up as shadows suddenly engulfed the group of cats. The apprentice shivered, looking nervously into the shadows. Snowpaw felt Fernpaw tense next to him as well; seeking comfort, Snowpaw pressed closer to her.

"We're here." Eaglestar announced.

The group of cats slowed their pace as they lined up on either side of Eaglestar. Snowpaw looked down and gasped: below was a giant dip in the ground: a hollow. And on each corner of that giant dip were four great oak trees, standing more than fifty tail-lengths tall.

"Woah." Snowpaw and Fernpaw whispered simultaneously. They looked at each other and grinned. Focusing back on the wonder that spread out below him, Snowpaw saw many many cats milling about in the clearing. He'd never seen so many cats in his life!

"Welcome to Four Trees." Heatherclaw purred.

With a wave of his tail, the WindClan cats followed Eaglestar down the slope and into the clearing.

* * *

**Well, that was the end of the chapter. I hope you enjoyed it! I will try to post the next chapter as soon as possible, but knowing my schedule, that won't be for a while.**

**QOTD- How was your Christmas break?**

**AOTD- It was horrible. Well, at least I got to play video-games the whole time! :D**

**Until next time, bye!**


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